Tales of A Sidekick
by Jenniferptrsn94
Summary: Sucked into the world of a video game, two best friends do their best to keep the story line going so they can get back home. There's is only one problem. Colette, Chosen of Sylvarant, and one of the important keys to winning the game, is completely gone from the PLOT and someone must take her place. One friend must standby while the other loses her humanity to save the worlds.
1. Prologue

Maybe I've finally gone crazy. I guess I've finally lost the ability to comprehend reality. But when I close my eyes, I still see him. Trying to forget all of this is like trying to remember someone you never met. I won't act like it never happened, because something that never happened couldn't possibly affect me to this point. I can't sleep. When I day dream, I dream of this place. Where you can smell the sweet scent of honey in the air and the wind tells you where you belong. This was Symphonia.

* * *

Prologue:

"Jen, get up! NOW!" Her voice, Amelia, my best friend, and the reason we got into this mess.

She kicked my leg, waking me up. I was spending the night over at Ami's apartment across the lake from mine when all this started. As I rubbed my tired eyes, the red light of the clock on the bedside table glowed too bright. It was almost 4 AM, and Ami was still awake.

"Ugh…" I groaned. "What the hell? Why are you still up?" The chill of the open window got to me. I pulled the blanket up around me, snuggling back into the warmth that was my sleeping bag.

"Uuuum… Jenni… I think we've got a serious problem here. Help." Her voice was honest and desperate.

I decided to wake up enough to hear her reason. "What's wrong?"

"Okay, I think I've lost it." She was staring at her IPod.

"Finally gone crazy, Ams?" I yawned loudly.

"Just… Tell me you see this, too." She handed me what she liked to call the "I-ToS". It was a joke between us both that this little device made by Apple (or the Lezareno company, we used to joke. The company made everything in Tales of Symphonia), had the ability to teleport the user into the world of ToS. Ami had a few theories that Symphonia was actually Earth, but thousands of years in the past. This theory entertained us for a while, but it never stuck with me.

I looked down at the bright screen, and it almost blinded me in the darkness. She was on some kind of chat application.

"Well?" She urged, almost jumping up and down beside me.

* * *

Yuan_Kafai: Hello, Stripes.

Amyninja77: Erm, sorry. Who are you again?

Yuan_Kafai: Is that supposed to be a joke?

Amyninja77: No I mean, for real. I forget which of my many friends RPs Yuan. XD

Yuan_Kafai: This is going to take too long. Just download this, and I'll see you soon.

Yuan_Kafai sent: - Gate _ SylvarantBase. exe

"Oh my god, Ams…" I said, breathlessly.

"I know, right?!" She almost yelled, very unlike her.

* * *

"This guy's a creep, DON'T download that." I said, handing it back to her, shaking my head.

She looked defiant. "But what if-"

"It's real?" She had to be kidding me. We've done weird stuff in the past, role playing characters to talk to each other, playing along like kids playing house, but, this was taking it too far at TOO early in the morning. "No Ams. Some guy found out that you liked ToS and wants to mess with you." I frowned, with a sigh, lying back down. I wasn't going to deal with psychos at four in the morning even though I could tell she was glaring a big hole on the back of my head.

"I'm gonna download it." She smiled, touching the screen to start the download.

"Uuugh. Whatever. Your IPod can get viruses, ya know…" I said. After a moment, there was some sort of a beep to indicate that the download was finished.

"It's an app…." She said with unconcealed excitement. I sat back up, looking at her IPod. She opened the app and immediately dropped the iPod in her lap.

"What?!" I spouted, raising an eye brow at my friend.

"It SHOCKED me!" She demanded.

I reached down, carefully picking up the IPod. The screen was white.

"It froze?" I wondered before noticing yet another odd thing. On the bottom of the IPod, the circular Home button was glowing red.

"Just go back to the home screen." I reached over and simply pressed the glowing button myself when she wasn't going to.

When I did so, the tips of my fingers grew numb. When I heard Ami gasp, I was distracted for a moment. I didn't realize my fingers had turned white. The screen had somehow morphed out of the glass and melted all over my hand. And it kept going. I pulled my hand away as quickly as I could. It was as if the light was alive, and it wasn't going to stop until all of me was consumed. It traveled up my wrist, over my arms and shoulders. I looked back at a sight I would probably remember forever. The fear that swept over me with this light had begun to stream over Ami as well. Starting at her knee, where I guess the iPod was touching her skin. I began to lose all control of my body, falling to the floor. This light felt like darkness, pulling me to the ground. When the light pulled around my body, I stopped breathing, holding my breath as the light traveled onto my lips. The last thing I heard was my friend screaming my name over and over again, but stopping when the light consumed her as well.

And then everything stopped. Sound, movement, cries, and heartbeats seemed to disappear into this darkness.

"Jenni… Jenni wake up…"

I was so glad that was all a dream. "Let me sleep five more minutes?" I yawned. I grabbed at the covers that surrounded me and stretched out across the bed.

"This is who you brought? I'm stuck with the help of two teenage girls?" I heard a male voice say.

My ears started to work a little better, but still rang every time they tried. I flinched, covering them as I opened my eyes. The room was too bright for me.

"Mind keeping it down!?" I yelled, making sure they could hear me. Ami was quite embarrassed. She glared at me. I bit my lip back at her. "S-sorry." I rubbed my head, looking around the room. It was futuristic, almost space-like in structure. My gaze then landed a man. He stood with his arms crossed, glaring at me. He was average height, with a handsome face and long blue hair pulled back in a pony tail.

"Um…okay. This….CAN'T be real. Ams…. Um." I really couldn't think logically at the time.

"Jen… Jenni, I know, it's crazy, but Yuan explained everything. It's real! We are really HERE! Please don't freak out."

I looked back and forth between her and blue-hair. My mouth couldn't close for the amount of shock I was in. Yuan Ka'fai, leader of the Renegades … from a video game called Tales of Symphonia was standing in front of me. I think almost 30 seconds of silence passed before something was said.

"Jennifer…" Yuan's voice giving me chills. Not because it was attractive or anything, but because it was SO weird that Yuan Kafai was speaking to me. My eyes ran over him again and again, up and down, left and right.

"What? Yeah?" I blinked, probably looking as dumb as ever. He gave a large sigh, closing his eyes and putting his hand to his forehead.

"I didn't mean to bring you here. I thought Ami was alone." He continued, annoyed with himself. "That's why you had so much…trouble. The IToS Transport I sent with the application was only meant for one person." It went quiet again for a second.

"So… we're really in the Renegade Base…? In Sym-"

"Sylvarant…Pre-journey." Ami said, mumbling to me before I could spit anything else out.

"R-right…" I said, all breathy. I felt numb without quite actually being numb. Sick to my stomach.

"Drink this." Yuan handed me a cup of red water. It didn't look like blood, it was clearer than blood. "What the heck is this? Freaky apple juice…?"

"Close, it's an Apple Gel… It will make you feel much better…"

Hesitantly, I took a sip. "Yuck…" I tried to hand it back to him.

"Drink it!" Yuan grumbled.

I sighed and gulped it down as fast as I could. It tasted like children's cold medicine.

"You learn to live with it when you've got large amounts of blood loss and pain." He said, taking the cup back. Yuan went back to crossing his arms and looking at me. "There's no way to get you back home without endangering your life again, so I guess that means you can just follow your friend." He took a step to the middle of the room, starting to pace. "You are at the renegade base, located in the Triet desert, north of Iselia. I hate to say that I don't have all the answers to what is happening, but the Chosen was sent at this exact time to take this journey."

"He knows what's going to happen?" I asked Ami.

"Not what he means…" She said vaguely.

"I had opened a portal through your friends device. We needed her here. We have been searching for her for 16 years. It was….told to me that your friend, Amelia, is next in line to be the chosen." He explained.

"That doesn't make any sense! We aren't even-"

"Do you think I decided this? Do you think I made her mana signature? All I know is that my research calls for Amelia to take the title as Chosen." He grumbled.

"Ams… Are you hearing this?" I looked to my friend in shock. She was looking down at her feet. "AMS!"

"Yes! I know, Jen! Stop yelling." She gritted her teeth, glaring at me. She was scared, I could tell. Her hands were shaking, but the rest of her was stiff. She knew what happened to Colette, to the Chosen of Sylvarant. It was like she already knew what she had to do. What was more terrifying? Knowing your best friend had been thrown into this world of fate or… not knowing what to do or say to make it better?

"Wh-what happened to Colette?" I demanded.

"Amelia asked me about a girl named Colette a few moments ago. Let's say this one more time. I'm _not_ repeating myself again. I have _no_ idea who you are talking about. If she is someone of importance, she'll show herself to my renegades. I even sent out my men to look for her. They reported the girl has been kidnapped from her home in Iselia a few weeks ago. Probably to the human ranch nearby. I'm sorry if she was a friend of yours, but she's of no use here."

I looked to Ami who had already had time to process this. She had already asked all she could, but no more information was given by the Renegade.

"When you leave here, it will be as if we never met. You've never seen me. I don't want to get in any trouble before the journey has yet to begin. Maybe this will all work out how it's supposed to." Yuan gulped. "I have set up your supplies in the next room. It's almost sunrise. I will give you transport to the deserts edge and a map. At noon, the light from the temple will appear, along with the Tower of Salvation." He walked back towards us.

"And that's where… It all begins?" I stood up from the bed.

"Good luck."

Once upon a time, there existed a giant tree that was the source of mana.

A war, however, caused this tree to wither away,

and a hero's life was sacrificed in order to take its place.

Grieving over the loss, the goddess disappeared unto the heavens.

The goddess left the angels with this edict:

"You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed."

The angels bore the Chosen One, who headed towards the tower that reached up unto the

heavens.

And that marked the beginning of the regeneration of the world.


	2. Chapter 1- She's the Chosen

Chapter 1

I think Ami gets in a bunch more trouble then she likes to believe. I'm known as the klutz, but that's only because I balance Ami's shenanigans out with my own. Honestly, it usually tilts in my favor and I end up accidently cutting my thumb open with a plastic knife. But that wasn't the case today. This had to be the longest day of my life thus far, and I can't even begin to imagine, how everyone else was doing. Any when I say "Everyone else", I mean everyone we had to lie to that day.

With every new view of the world I was in, I began to believe it more and more. Somehow, I was either dreaming, or Ami really messed up with her stupid i-Pod. I stayed in a daze, still feeling sick to my stomach even after the weird apple juice Yuan gave to me.

Yuan gave us prototypes of these all-purpose vehicles called boseons, which were like little hovering motorcycles that couldn't quite fly. They were pretty cool once we got the hang of not crashing, and we crossed the desert in record time. The difficulty came when we reached the grass. Our speed slowed by half, and without a seat belt of any kind, I was almost thrown straight out of my seat. After deciding to be a bit more careful with the glitchy prototypes, we headed straight for Iselia. This was the where the video game began. This was the village where you meet the main character, Lloyd. You also meet Genis and his older sister Raine who is the teacher of the small school that sits at the top of the village.

The village was beautiful, organic and peaceful. I had never seen anything like it. To my surprise, Genis was the first to speak to us that day. He seemed to trust Ami. I watched as my best friend tried to conceal her surprise at learning she was a half-elf. She told me later that her body must have reacted to the mana in this world or something like that. Also, I'm an elf! I have pointy ears and everything!

This was when the lying began. With each person, Ami took on the job of spinning out a web of lies. It was kind of freaky how good she was at that. Raine didn't trust us much at all, but she was far more distrusting than her little brother. Lloyd took to us immediately, his adorable dorky manner making me laugh often even despite the somber mood that was hanging in the air. After all, one of their best friends had recently disappeared. They were trying to hide their sadness. It didn't work well.

Ami responded quickly to the light of the oracle, and the others followed close behind as we all headed to the temple where the real story line began to grow. Before we were able to get Ami to the top of the temple, a battle awaited us at the entrance. It wasn't much of a battle because I didn't really know how to fight. I had arrows I didn't know how to shoot, and didn't even come close to hitting anything. The fight ended when a man named Kratos came to help.

Kratos quickly took on the job of protecting Chosen one, the same he does in the game. The only difference now, was that he job was to protect a different girl. Without missing a beat, Ami promised to pay this mercenary for his services later. She became weirdly quiet once he showed up. So did Lloyd. He grumbled about how Kratos thought he was all that and a bag of Fritos. Okay, not those words exactly. But you get the point. I did my best to cheer him up as we went through the temple. A grumpy Lloyd hardly seemed like Lloyd at all.

I think it all really hit me when Ami accepted the oracle on the top floor, and that cruxis crystal attached to her neck. She knew what it was and what it would do to her, but she was still putting on a brave face. I know it scared her because of how bubbly she was trying to be on the way back. It was far more fake and transparent than any lie she'd told.

We met up at Lloyd's house later, and as Ami reluctantly lied once more to Lloyd, I watched Kratos catch sight of Anna's grave. The sight of a man grieving makes you want to turn away. I gave him his time alone as he pieced things together. I chatted with Genis until Ami came back out of the house and announced that Lloyd and Genis could come along and help find Colette on the way. That was the last lie of the day before we came to rest at the inn.

"Ow! K-kratos!" Ami flinched, pulling her leg away. The blood had begun to soak through the old wrap.

"That's way too tight, Kratos, you're hurting her!" I said, standing up from my bed.

"And what makes you so qualified to tell me what is right or wrong? Having it tight will stop the bleeding. I'm sorry if it hurts, but you just need to be able to take the pain." He said, pulling her leg back.

I shook my head. "Whatever . . . Just don't hurt her. Will she be able to walk tomorrow?" I asked.

"It all depends if the swelling goes down. It was a pretty bad fall. If not, we can always have someone carry her." He said.

"Not me, I might be strong, I'm not THAT strong." I put up my hands.

"Jee, thanks." Ami rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just mean I don't want to be the one to carry you AND two back packs." I pulled my hair back in a pony tail, taking a deep breath. "When are we headed out again?"

"Early morning. Lloyd and Genis might come along to find Colette, and since you told them we'd be in the town entrance at noon, we need to be long gone by then." Ami answered me. "Thank you Kratos." She smiled at him, hands together, and I was waiting for her to bow to him. She really enjoyed him way too much. It was like she thought he would see right through her, which only made her act more fake than ever.

"That means we should all get some rest." I said, trying to break the weird vibe I got from Ami and Kratos.

"Yes. I have a room two doors down. Please wake me if anything is wrong." Kratos stood. Thank goodness, he wasn't gonna stay in here. I bet he snores.

Kratos left us to talk. I went to the sink and splashed some water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. "Do you really think we can do this, Ams? Actually turn you into an angel?" I turned around and looked to my friend.

"We're gonna have to. I mean, It's not going to be all bad. I'll get wings!" She smiled.

"You and your optimism scares me. I'm supposed to be the positive one." I put a hand to my forehead. "What happens when you lose your voice? Your ability to sleep? Your . . . soul . . .?" I walked over to her.

"I am not losing anything tonight, so let's not talk about it." She said, getting uncomfortable.

"Colette had her whole LIFE to plan for this! She even thought it was for the good of the world." I pointed out.

"It IS for the good of the world!" She looked up at me.

"It's for Mithos to trap you into bringing his dead sister back to life!" I loudly whispered.

"Don't you remember anything? We are fighting till the very end, Jen! When Mithos falls and a new beginning for everyone starts. It's not a game anymore, Jen. There are people out there who are going to die for us. There are people who are dying when we aren't there to stop it from happening. Did you see that ranch!? Did you see those scars on Marble? It's wrong! And if we can't do this, no one will stop Mithos. No one…"

"You're beginning to sound like Anna."

Anna meant a lot of things to Ami. Anna was significant. Anna was Lloyd's mother who died when he was a baby. Anna was also a huge plot twist in the game. When I said she sounded like Anna, I only meant that she sounded like what I thought Anna would be like. That is what she would be like if the game ever had Anna in it. I thought of Anna as stubborn, brave, and more than ready for change. It was going to be hard to keep my mouth shut, knowing all I did about the game. I knew why Kratos Aurion was here, I knew who he worked for, and I knew his connection to Anna…to Lloyd.

The next morning, I thought I was being woken up by my brother, shaking my shoulder and telling me to get up. Wrong. It was Kratos. It still wasn't a dream.

"Damn it." I grumbled.

"Well good morning to you too…" He shook his head with a sigh. He pulled the sheets off me and left me there to die in the cold, horrible bed without blankets.

"Kratos! Give them baaaack! It's freezing!" I whined.

"Get dressed. We are leaving in 10 minutes. If you're not up by that time, I'm pouring water on you." He left the room, taking my blanket with him.

I sat up with my eyes closed. The morning was dry and quiet. I heard Ami shuffling through things in the bathroom. She hopped out in her travel gear. She wore a black shirt with leggings and a skirt. The shoes she wore seemed pretty durable. "Think you can walk?"

"Yeah. Probably. I don't want to be a burden." Ami frowned. "I'll tell you if it starts hurting though. Hey, can you still carry my backpack because, you know, you love me?" She batted her eyelashes.

I rolled my eyes, nodding. "Of course. Anything for the Chosen." I laughed, grabbing my cloths and going to change.

Outside, there was quite an overcast. The sunrise that was so grand yesterday was not repeated.

"Hope it doesn't . . . oh my god!" I realized.

"What?" Ami stopped.

"RAINE! We forgot about Raine! Where is she? She's supposed to be with us! Because . . . She's our healer!" I explained.

When we got to Raine and Genis' house, she was busy sneaking away from her brother without waking him. When she joined us on the path, she immediately apologized to Ami about wasting time. Kratos told us all to fill up our water bottles because our first stop was Triet, the desert oasis. Ami and I looked at each other, both of us longing to just use our boseons', but we knew we didn't have any way to explain why we had them and how they came into our possession. We agreed that if we needed them, we knew where they were.

I was glad it was not a sunny day, because if we had to walk through the desert in the sun, none of us could bare it very long. Ami would be so grumpy and I probably would have bitten off her head. I finished my bottle of water off first. Let's just say, out of the whole group, I was the least in shape. I chugged that bottle every 5 minutes. Kratos looked at me after seeing me hold my bottle over my head, shaking the last drops into my mouth.

"You should have paced yourself." He said, handing me his bottle. I frowned.

"I'll be fine. I don't want to be a water hog. If we get lost out here, they need you more than they need me." I shook my head, rejecting the bottle.

"It is not a matter of survival; it is a matter of being sound of mind. If we need you to fight, than you being an archer means your eye sight is vital. Your sight is the first thing to go when you are dehydrated." He rambled off some lame excuse and I took his bottle, taking a sip.

"Thanks, I guess…" Lloyd was right; Kratos did think he was all that and a bag a Fritos. Lloyd . . . right now he was probably waking up to Genis outside his house. And when they get to the village, Forcystys, will be there, attacking the village. Forcystys was in charge of what is called a "Human Ranch". His cruel and heartless manor fit the role of someone who ran what was practically a death camp. I don't remember from the game is anyone died today, but I wouldn't be surprised. Reminded of this, I turned around, looking back towards Iselia. I saw the smoke rise from the trees.

"Genis . . ." Raine said, her hands tightening around her staff.

"Genis will be alright. He's probably going to get Lloyd right now, and they both can fight and protect themselves." Ami reassured her.

Kratos was looking worried himself. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind.

"Lloyd will be okay, he can take care of himself." I told Kratos, as if trying to ease his conscious.

"I wasn't thinking about him." Kratos turned and walked away from me. God forbid someone tries to comfort Kratos Aurion. He's a lot more of a cold stone when you're around him like this all the time. When playing the game he just seems so cool! I wonder what Ami thinks of him now, up close and stuff. Heh, I don't think Ami is capable of thinking negatively about Kratos.

When we finally made it to the oasis, it was hours later and the clouds had cleared. The sun was just starting to scorch us when we saw Triet within our reach. First on the list was to restock on supplies. As we walked through the market, we saw all kinds of interesting foods and weapons for sale. Ami bought her second yo-yo. This one had larger blades and had a few gold plates in the surface to adjust the weight better. I was satisfied with my bow at the moment. Whether the bow was fancy or cheep, I still couldn't shoot worth crap. I think I got one shot at a wolf by accident. Which ended in Ami's hurt leg, so I wasn't exactly proud of it. I did, however, get a small manual on archery. It was some old book on positions and angles. Tricks of the trade, if you will. Raine bought it for me. I thanked her for her concern for my fighting abilities, or lack thereof.

After a long day of walking around Triet, we agreed to head back towards the inn. Ami stopped walking, staring at the row of little shops. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's Genis." She murmured, pointing. Genis was running through the crowd of people, asking right and left in a frantic frustration. Without missing a beat, I ran to him.

"Genis! Genis, what are you doing here?!" I spoke over the crowd, grabbing his arm so he didn't get away. He was obviously out of breath and dehydrated. Raine quickly followed behind me, grabbing Genis and putting her arms around him. Genis hugged his sister for a second, then pulled away.

"Raine, I'm fine! It's Lloyd! Lloyd-" Genis coughed.

"Drink some water." She put her bottle to his lips and he drank. Once we got him out of the sun, he was able to calm down and explain what was going on. We sat just inside the inn, ready for anything.

"What about Lloyd?" Kratos asked, arms crossed, looking at Genis.

"He's been kidnapped! These guys just attacked us! And they took Lloyd away! He looked really hurt, too!" He was still shaking. "First Colette, and now Lloyd. W-what are we going to do?"

Ami sighed. I don't think she was expecting this kind of reaction from Genis and neither was I. In the game we never see how Genis finds the group. I felt horrible for him. This day must have been unbearable for him.

He explained to us exactly what happened. He explained that he knew where they took Lloyd, but that he couldn't figure out how to get in and save Lloyd, especially all by himself. He told us that his best bet was to find help, whether that would be from us or someone else in Triet.

So the next stop was the Renegade base, again. We'd take to the desert and face Botta, Yuan's right hand man.


	3. Chapter 2- Enter the Renegade base

Chapter 2

I can't explain how it felt to step into the base. The cool air hit me like a rock. We were able to find a way in through an emergency exit tunnel. It was an exit for the reihards and boseons to the desert. We had to climb out of the tunnel and into the vehicle bay. I was the second one up and into the room after Genis. If you whispered in there, your voice would echo. Everything was made of some kind of hard metal. Computers and monitors were what made the walls and with every step, a hard cling sounded throughout the room. It was hard to go unnoticed.

"Hey! What are you doing in here?!" A man yelled. Genis acted immediately. He was quicker than I expected. He started to cast a quick spell.

"Cover me!" He told me. Everyone else was busy trying to get out of the tunnel. I turned towards the guy, reaching for an arrow. It was too late! I reacted too slowly. He was running fast, beginning to take his weapon out. I did the first thing that popped into my head! I slammed my palm up at his face, breaking his nose. I think threw a kick in his direction, just try to get him away from me with that sword. I accidently ended up kicking him between the legs. He fell over, and I backed up.

"Holy CRAP!" I panted. What an adrenaline rush! I grabbed his sword from him as he rolled on the floor in pain. I held the sword. If I couldn't shoot arrows now, I could surely swing a sword towards bad guys.

Genis stopped casting. He looked shocked. "N-never mind, then." He shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind from what he just saw. Kratos, Raine, and Ami made it up from the tunnel, seeing the Renegade on the floor and me standing over him with his sword.

"Jen, what the heck did you do to him?" Ami's eyes were wide.

"He came at me with a freaking sword! What the heck was I supposed to do?" It hit me then. In the game, you'd fight this guy, and kill him. He got off easy. I looked down at him, backing up.

"Let's move on." Kratos said after I accidently backed up into him. I nodded, silently walking ahead of the group. I needed to get this out of my head. I held that sword tightly in my hand. It was so heavy and I could barely hold it. I was armed with weapons that could kill. What did I get myself into?

From then on, I did my best to try not to hurt anyone else. I don't know, call me a baby or a wuss, but I just couldn't bring myself to kill. I had to turn away when Kratos stabbed some renegade, pinning him to the wall. The sound of the man choking on his own blood made me feel faint. Ami and I agreed in our reactions with a few glances at each other. Genis and Raine lived with destruction and violence in their lives, coming as close to them as home. They were half elves. I didn't doubt if Raine had to protect her brother from people who hated them. And Kratos knew death all too well. This world, from the perspective of a gamer, didn't seem so bloody. I knew there was racism and hatred. But, seeing everything first hand changes that. Something so small as a little beginner battle seemed to change your soul. It wasn't leveling up or getting past a blocked door anymore. This was all too real.

We spent what felt like hours running and battling guards. We did our best to walk in silence, careful not to be spotted as much as we could. Genis was shushed a few times when he'd ask Raine why she left him back in Iselia. I felt bad for the kid, his only family sneaking away in the middle of the night, having him wake to no one home. I saw them talking about it, whispering back and forth, the little conversation that probably needed to be had later.

"But…you could have just told me, Raine!" He said just a little too loud.

"Hey! You there! Stop!" A guard just turned the corner.

"This way!" Kratos told us as we followed him back down a corridor and into the first unlocked door. We all filed into a small room. It was like we hit the jackpot! Lloyd was standing in the middle of the room, speaking to a man who didn't seem to happy to see us.

Seeing Lloyd there untouched was a relief. I knew he would be okay, but something inside me told me to worry. All of this was really getting to me when I hoped it wouldn't.

Botta stood facing Lloyd, weapon in hand. Botta glared at Ami and me. I think I heard from Yuan that Botta designed the boseons. I kind of felt bad now for not giving them back.

"Lloyd! Are you alright?!" Genis asked, worried.

"He looks fine." Kratos said, then turning to face Botta along with the others.

"Perfect timing, I can take care of everyone at once." He drew is sword. This sword, I gotta say, was beautiful. It was red with all kinds of gold designs in it, and a small exphere imbedded near the handle to give it power. It curved like a sickle and the blade was sharp.

Lloyd took out his swords. "Or we could take care of you." He glared. I gave up on the sword. I didn't know any spells and could barely lift it. I took an arrow out from my quiver. The arrows I used had spells engraved into the wood. Every arrow, with one word in the right pronunciation, could work and send a spell flying when the arrow turns into used mana.

"Run-ya" I said with hesitation. Runya, the Elvin word for flame, was one spell I saw in my small manual Raine got me. I gasped in reaction to my arrow bursting into flames because I held it too long. I dropped my bow and stepped back. When the fire faded almost immediately, I picked up my bow again, drawing another arrow. I was towards the back of the group along with Raine. Our strategy going into the base was to keep Raine and I at the back, while Kratos, Ami, and Genis did the close combat. I pulled another arrow back as it waited for me to tell it what it was. "A-alu!" Water seemed a little bit less difficult to control. And MAN was I wrong! It shot past Botta and into wall behind him. The water continued out in waves of mana, making Botta lose his footing for a second with the sudden distraction. Lloyd was able to get quite a few hits in with his sword before jumping back when Botta tried to use stalagmite. His most powerful move. Lloyd turned to me from across the room.

"Stop him from casting!" He yelled. I took another arrow out, this time shooting in the perfect spot.

"Runya!" The arrow shot at Botta's feet, fire exploding around him. It stopped his cast and Ami got a hit. Her yo-yo snagged on Botta's arm, yanking him toward her. Kratos took the other side, slashing Botta's side with nothing to stop him. Botta went for Ami then. "Stripes! No!" I yelled. Kratos grabbed Botta's arm, yanking him as hard as he could away from her. But before I looked away, I saw stripes holding her hand, looking panicked. Botta must have just barely got to her. I saw blood. "Are you okay!?"

"First aid." I heard Raine say, and a small gold circle appeared around Ami, and she smiled. Like a miracle, there was no more blood.

"Amazing…" I breathed. It took a second to click back into the fight. I sent arrow after arrow towards Botta. Flame, water, and earth. My favorite was when I got to send a wind spell at him. It was just like a regular arrow, but when it shot, I could control where it went with the wind. It took a lot of mana and energy, but I hit my target every time. It disappeared as soon as it would hit Botta, and he would stumble back like someone literally knocked the wind out of him.

Kratos stuck the last hit for us, a cling of his sword hitting Botta's armor and making Botta barely able to stand anymore. He panted hard.

"Ugh…underestimated you abilities…" He dropped his sword, and got out of the room as soon as possible. I wanted to send a runya arrow at his butt.

That was when Raine stepped forward take the sword and gain her exphere. Kratos made it apparent that we needed to get out of the base as soon as possible. I was not opposed to this. We couldn't retrace our steps to the boseon bay, so we followed Lloyd to the entrance to the base. This is where we found Noishe. Our group was now full. We had Kratos, Raine, Genis, Ami, Me, Lloyd and now giant dog thing.

"Don't dawdle. We need to make it back to Triet before the sun sets. It can get very cold out here." Kratos told us all as we started back into the desert.

Once we got back to the inn, I collapsed on the bed, chugging water and slamming down an empty cup. "I can't remember the last time I loved the feel of a bed sooooo much." I smiled, yawning. It was finally dark out, and it was quiet. Ami and Lloyd were with me in the room, sitting in a chair by the window, Lloyd looked at the stars.

"You okay Lloyd?" I sat up, looking over at him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm just . . . tired." He assured me. I still didn't know if he was okay. He was harder to read than most people. His expressions were almost always positive and sweet, I hated seeing him like this. The frown on his face could be caused by a number of things. His banishment, Colette's disappearance, Marble's death, or even his own kidnapping and experience at the renegade base. I don't know how he does it. Main characters are so complicated.

"Maybe going outside for a walk will clear your head." I said. Lloyd was bound to go outside tonight at some point. Kratos and him had some talking to do.

He looked back at me. "Uh . . . yeah. That's a good idea. I'm going to go see Raine about that exphere and maybe go talk to Noishe." He smiled softly, walking to the door. "Goodnight you two, see ya in the morning."

"Night." I said as he closed the door behind him. I turned to Ami with a smile. "So . . . you know what I realized?" I said bubbly.

"What?" She mocked my voice. I ignored her. This is just how we interacted.

"Tomorrow . . . you get to fly." I smiled. And she did too. It wasn't without hesitation. I wanted to ultimately make this a good thing. It _was_ really cool! I was almost jealous of that fact. She gets wings tomorrow. When I was a little girl, I use to ask God for wings. Sometimes I still do.

"Heh, yeah. I do." She put her hand on her cruxis crystal absentmindedly. I noticed she liked to run her finger along the cold rings and bars. I wondered if it bothered her much, to have that metal necklace strapped to her all day long.

I walked over to the window, looking down at Kratos who was speaking with Noishe. Once I saw Lloyd walk out, it was fun to watch them interact. All of this was falling into place.

"You know . . . I think we can pull this off. " I turned around. "You're one of the strongest, bravest people I've met. If anyone could take Colette's place, you could."

Ami sighed, lying down on her bed. "If you say so, Jenni. I'll be happy if I can just get rid of this feeling like I'm gonna explode." She said, hugging her pillow. I walked over to her, sitting by her feet.

"You're gonna be best chosen ever. Just wait, you'll see." I smiled, sticking my tongue out at her. She mirrored the face with a laugh.


	4. Chapter 3- Journal Entry of the Chosen

Chapter 3

I woke up to a major head ache. I should have had more water that day. The dry air was really getting to me. I got up, stumbling over to the sink to get some water. I looked at my feet, seeing Ami's bag. I saw the things she got at the Market earlier today, like her yo-yo, and some pretty gems to equip to it. Then I saw a small black book. I wondered what she wanted to write about. I looked over at her, asleep on her bed, and then locked myself in the bathroom, sitting down on the side of the tub and started to read.

Day 1

I wish I had an exciting way to start this journal, but I'm just too tired to care. Sorry. I know that's kind of out of character for a writer, but I've seen too much today, and I have too much to do tomorrow. I just want to get my thoughts down so that if I die tomorrow, I'll have something to leave behind. Something to tell the world I'm sorry. I tried. Something to tell history that I did everything I could not to be a weakling. I'll stop with the theatrics now, promise.

I'm the new chosen of Sylvarant. What happened to Colette? Your guess is as good as mine. I promise you know about as much as I do. I'm trying to be brave about this. There's nothing any of them can do for me, and if I started crying and screaming about how unfair this was (which I really want to do...) I would just take away their hope. It would be replaced by the certainty that the chosen is a whiney baby who could never save the world. I need Lloyd to trust me. I want to trust Kratos. But what I saw today... Kratos kills people. I mean... He looks in their eyes while they choke on their own blood, and I don't see sadness or remorse in his face. I'm afraid of him. And that makes me want to cry.

I need sleep. I've been traveling in the desert, and there's more of that to come tomorrow. Oh god, I don't want to think about tomorrow. Jenni tries to make things sound positive and I try not to let her know it's making things worse. Well, goodnight. I need to rest so I can put on a brave face again tomorrow.

-Ami


	5. Chapter 4- Arrows and the Fire Seal

Chapter 4

I took a swig of my water, slowly swallowing and making it last on my lips. I took a deep breath, but coughed out the hot dry air. In the fire seal, there was no fresh air. Every breath I took was heavy with sand and ash. I could barely breathe, let alone talk.

"There are torches on either side that we need to get to. We could get to the portal faster if we split up." Ami said when we looked across the main room. She pointed out a few torches that needed to be lit. If all the torches were lit, it would pull the platforms up from the lava below, and we could walk across to the portal.

"One problem." I said. "We only have one sorcerers ring to light the torches."

"I'm sure your arrows would work. As long as you can hit the right spot, they should light them." She said.

"Okay. So who goes with whom?" I asked.

"We should each have a healer, so Kratos and Raine shouldn't go together." She pointed out.

"So, Lloyd, Raine, and Genis. Then Me, You and Kratos?" I assumed that Ami wanted to stick with Kratos. She nodded. As we split groups, we made sure we had a good supply of water and gels. Ami walked for a bit in silence. I was surprised she didn't talk to Kratos as much as I thought she would. I got the vibe that she was scared to say the wrong thing.

"So, Kratos. Where ya from?" I started a small conversation. Kratos gave me an odd look then replied.

"I could ask you the same question. Did the chosen travel far to gain the oracle or have you live your whole lives in the area? It's not usual for an elf and a human to be such close friends." Damn this guy was good at changing the subject.

Ami looked at me, a little pissed off. "I'm actually from Luin, I met Jenni in Asgard years ago when I went there to study the ruins." She sputtered out.

"From Luin? I've been there a few times. Very nice village, nice people." Kratos said.

Ami smiled, nodding.

The fact was that the last time he was in Luin might have been when he was with Anna, Lloyd's mother.

"Were you ever threatened by the Asgard ranch?" I was surprised he asked. Hard questions that I wasn't sure Ami could keep up with.

"I'm the chosen. He couldn't touch me." Ami pointed out.

"Who couldn't touch you?"

I stared at Ami who stared back for a moment. My eyes were big. We both knew that Kratos had us stuck. I was glad, because at that moment, a monster zoomed around the corner.

"Behind you!" Kratos said, taking out his sword.

"WOAH!" I backed up against the wall as the flame monster passed by me. It seemed to be made of coal and have the ability to throw fire attacks at its enemies. It threw a few at Ami, who put up her arms to block the golf ball size fire balls. She yelled when a few hit her, her clothes being burned through and her skin singed. I pulled out an Alu arrow from my quiver, shooting the monster at close range. The water from the Alu arrow put out its flame, making it fall to the floor and only become dead coal.

"Are you alright?" I said, running over to her.

"Chosen, let me see your arm. Back away, Jennifer." Kratos moved me aside, and knelt by Ami. She was sitting on the ground, not showing her face. When I got another glance at her wounds, they were worse than I thought.

"It's okay! It's not that bad! I promise, Kratos! It's okay!" She seemed so embarrassed to need his help. Kratos and I both knew how bad the coals burned her skin. There were three small but bad burns down her arm. Kratos didn't respond to her ignorant plea. He started to pull up her sleeve to get a better look at the top burn. The fabric of her shirt seemed to stick to her burned skin as he pulled it back. She bit her lip, looking away again. She muttered a swear, shaking her head.

"Get me a knife." Kratos said, motioning to his bag.

"W-what?! Why?" Ami asked, short of breath. I shuffled through Kratos' things, finding a small pocket knife. He took the knife to her sleeve, cutting away carefully so as not to pull at her skin anymore.

"Dampen a cloth for me." He said. I handed him a small piece of fabric I had wet with a little water from my water bottle. "I'm almost done." He told Ami, swallowing. I could tell the heat was getting to him as well. I could see the fear on Ami's face. Ami' fear of fire scared her more than anything. I could still see her in a bit of a panic and so could Kratos. "Take some deep breaths." Kratos told her, his voice was quiet and low. He put the cool damp cloth over her burn and let it sit there. She flinched to the sudden action, but still did her best to not show any sign of pain. She was strong. I knew she was. That's why I didn't worry as much as I thought I would. Kratos then took the cloth away, and with the cut fabric from her sleeve wet, there was no longer any problem with taking it off the burn. "First aid." Kratos said, his hand now over her burns. Ami shut her eyes tight, sucking in a breath.

"You good?" I asked her as Kratos wrapped up what was left of the wounds after his spell.

"Always." Ami nodded. I could tell how glad she was to have Kratos there with us.

As we reached the other side of the room, we could see the torch I needed to hit. It was farther than I thought It would be and there was no way to get any closer. The room we stood in reached about as large as a basket ball court, and I had to shoot half that length. I gulped.

"Seriously? Look at the one Lloyd got!" I motioned over to the other side of the room, a small torch right beside a path where they other group had already gotten too.

"I guess its good we took this one then." Ami smiled. "Now shoot, Jenni." She patted me on the back. I was guessing Kratos' mana flow had gotten to her, cause she seemed way to happy for someone who had just gotten burnt to a crisp. I sighed, taking out a Runya arrow. Before speaking, I pulled back the arrow, and closed one eye to aim.

"Runya." I spoke, letting the arrow fly. Half way to my target, the arrow caught fire, and before it could reach the torch, it disintegrated into thin air. "What the hell?!" I glared. I pulled another arrow out.

"How many more fire arrows do you have?"

"Two unless I remake some, which would take time." I pulled the next arrow back into my bow, letting it fly, and then speaking. It was better, almost catching fire at the right time, but still burning the wood up too early. "Damn it." I grumbled.

"Come on, Jen." Ami mumbled, her fingers crossed.

"Not heelpinnng." I sung. I pulled my last fire arrow back. The string of my bow pulled back, sitting across my cheek by my lips. I took a deep breath, letting it out on the wood of my arrow. With my target in sight, my eyebrows drew together. I let the arrow slip past my fingers. "Runya!" I whispered into the path of my spell. The arrow head caught flame, followed by the shaft. As it stuck into the soft brick, the dry straw caught flame before the mana released. "GOTCHA!" I smiled, satisfied.

"Good work, Jennifer." Kratos nodded. Ami put her hands in the air.

"Great! Let's find the others!" She said as I widened my eyes in surprise. Kratos seemed amused by her sudden joy. This was his fault. I think he meant to give her enough of his mana to deal with the pain, but did not expect this reaction.

"OVER HERE!" I heard Lloyd's voice from afar. I looked across the room at the seal portal. Standing by it was Genis, himself, and the Professor.

It was time to make our way over to join them. I was ready to get out of this place.

After stepping onto the portal one by one, I opened my eyes to a quiet room. Much smaller than the room before, this room seemed to stand still, blocked off from the others. I wondered if we were teleported to the center of the earth, because that's what it felt like. Every step seemed to make the stone floor crack under the heat. Everyone put up their guard to face our last enemy, Ktugach.

I reached out to Genis, taking his shoulder, pulling him back a little bit. "See if you can cast aqua edge when I shoot my arrows. I think we can really take him down a notch with water." I whispered.

"H-huh? What are you talking about?" Genis asked, but I never got a chance to answer.

Small lights started to rise from the shrine. I blinked, and for a second I was captivated by the wolf that was twice the size of Noishe appearing in front of us.

"This is the FIRST one?" My eyes were wide. This monster had silver spikes sticking out of its head and down its back, what seemed to be lit coal and its skin cracked, releasing flames. We all had to step back, squinting our eyes.

"Alright guys! Let's get this over with!" Lloyd yelled, running directly at one of the two smaller monster flame cats. I didn't even notice them before he attacked.

"THREE of them!? I don't remember that!" I said to Ami.

"Remember what?" Raine asked, quickly jumping back from a fire ball sent from the main monster.

"From uh- history books. Legends and stuff?" I told her, panting. She gave me a strange look, then grabbed my arm, yanking me from the path of another fire ball. I told her my thanks and jumped back into the action. "GENIS!" I yelled across the room. "ALU!" I cast my arrow towards one of the small monsters.

"Aqua edge!" He followed my lead. My arrow and his spell caught above our target. My arrow shot down into what looked like its head. It cried in pain as Genis' spell soaked every inch of it. It's flame went out as it died. Genis ran over to me, swinging me a high five.

"We aren't done yet." Kratos shouted.

I ran over to Ami, who was hit by Ktugach's tail. She was being healed by Raine as she leaned against the wall. "Is she alright, Raine?" Ami was having a really rough day.

"She'll be okay. Cover us." She ordered. I looked down at my friend. Her whole shoulder was covered in blood, her eyes closed.

"A-ami…" I gulped, I couldn't look away from her.

"She'll be fine! Behind you!" Raine yelled. I spun around, coming face to face with the other monster. It growled, puffing smoke from its mouth. My arrows restocked as I gained mana. They appeared in my quiver, at the ready. I smirked.

"Hey buddy, how ya doin?" When he opened his mouth, I quickly grabbed an arrow. "VARA!" This meant protection. The arrow disappeared before I let go. The mana dissipated into the air from the arrow. I put down my bow and watched as a force field appeared in front of me. The monster covered my protection bubble in flame. It FREAKED Ami out, because when she opened her eyes, all she saw was fire all around her. It was pretty scary, but I was confident in my arrows at the time. I could block a little fire! "Sorry! I'll bring this somewhere else." I pulled out another arrow, and when the fires died and the bubble faded, an Alu Arrow was waiting for the little demon.

I watched the second of the three monsters die at my feet. I gulped, nodding. I knelt by him, looking down at the animals face. "I'm sorry…" Was all I said, and reached for his head, but before I could pay my respects, the body exploded into a cloud of mana. I wish there was a better word to you, but really, the monster disappeared with a boom. Gold and blue mana trickled around the room from able. I wondered why this happened to him, but then realized that across the room, Kratos and Lloyd finished off the big guy. Finishing off the last one activated the seal. I turned back to Ami, who was standing now. With a limp, she walked forward. I stepped toward her, offering a hand to help her, but she rejected it.

We all watched as steam sprayed into the air as the seal opened. Quickly, the altar opened in a circle, and rising from it were columns that stood, hold up a band around the top. We all were in awe of the beauty of the seal. An orange light glowed in the center of the altar, and expanded to fill the space around the columns. The columns then sunk back down into the stone, leaving the strange orange orb.

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration, offer your prayers at the altar." A grand voice from the distance spoke.

Ami looked at me, and then back at the orb."Y-yes, m-my lord." She hesitantly took a step forward and continued up the steps. "Oh, Goddess Martel, Protector of the Earth, please grant me thy strength." Her voice shook slightly. The orb opened and a small gold orb joined it in the air. An angel, Remiel, appeared. His white feathered wings caught my eye. I hated Remiel, but it was amazing seeing something as beautiful as this.

"My dearest daughter . . ." That made me twitch. I bit my tongue to keep from letting out a laugh. "You have done well . . ." Remiel said. "The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels." He told her.

"Thank you, my lord." Ami said, her head down in reverence. One fist was closed tight by her side. She didn't want to do this. I know she didn't want to do this! Stop this, Jen! Stop this!

"Am-"

It was too late. Four orbs went closing in on my friend. Red, white, green, and blue, disappeared into her body. I blinked, and before I knew it, she had wings. They spread out in streams of color. Green and blue feathers shimmered behind her. I couldn't breathe anymore. And I couldn't help but smile just a little bit when I saw them. Ami's feet left the ground, her hands fanning out as if to catch her. She looked down at us; eyes wide like a child's.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure." Remiel told her as she looked back to him.

"I . . . h-humbly accept this trial." She nodded.

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar." He disappeared into a gold cloud of dust and lights. "I shall await you at the next seal, Chosen of Regeneration, my beloved daughter." His voice echoed through the room.

Ami was able to land easily enough.

"Are you alright?" I walked up the steps to her cautiously.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She turned around with a smile. "I've got wings!" She spun around, showing them to me. I smiled back, knowing that this was an act, but a believable one.

"She's got wings!" Lloyd said, in astonishment.

"Wow! That is SO cool!" Genis jumped.

"They are pretty cool, Ami." I nodded, standing beside her. I reached out to touch them and she smacked my hand away.

"He said the next seal was across the ocean! That means we get to sail on a ship! Haha! I can't wait!" I heard Lloyd say to Raine and Kratos. Kratos purposed that we head towards the shore to see what we could find.

As we exited the Ruins, I constantly kept my eye on Ami. She was like a ticking time bomb. I knew the angel toxicosis was going to take a lot out on her. Did I ever mention that Ami was anemic? Well, I wasn't exactly expecting her to take the sickness better than Colette did in the game.

"Are you alright?" Lloyd suddenly said to me. That was a surprise.

"Uh . . . y-yeah. Why? Do I look not alright?" I shook my head.

"No, you just seemed . . . out of it." He frowned.

"It's been a long day. For everyone, I mean." I smiled. "I'm just tired." I assured him. He squinted at me.

"Well, alright, if you say so." He shrugged. "W-woah! Ami!" He jumped forward, catching Ami before she hit the ground.

Everyone stopped, paying attention to Ami.

"Good catch!" I said, kneeling by her. "Is she okay?" I didn't have to put worry in my voice, it was already there.

"We probably need to set up camp for the night. We really shouldn't move her in this condition." Raine said.

"I agree."

It was my job to go get water from the cacti and Lloyd's job to grab firewood. Ami still hadn't woken up yet and it was getting cold.

"What about this one?" I asked Lloyd, pointing to a cactus.

"It's gotta have a flower on it, I think." He scratched his head, holding some wood in one hand, and his sword in the other. "Liiiike this one." He cut the top off of a flowered cactus. It was left as a hollow pool inside. You could hear plenty of water splash around in it.

"Thanks!" I said, putting my water bottle down into the plant, careful not to touch the barbs. As we repeated this with a few more bottles, it was silent for a long time.

"Hey, Jenni?" He spoke.

"Huh? What?" I was busy reaching into a tall one, filling Kratos' bottle.

"I don't think I believe you." He put down the wood by his feet.

"W-what? Don't believe me about what?" This made me nervous.

"Well, I don't believe you were just tired, before when Ami fell down." He looked at me with disdain. "You can't just say you're tired and then suddenly stop talking for hours on end! I've only known you for a few days, but if there's one thing I know, it's that you like to talk." He gave a soft laugh.

"I was just worried about my friend. She fainted!" I told him.

"No, you were acting weird ever since-"

"It's nothing to worry about! Please Lloyd…" I looked him in the eye, praying he would just drop it. He sighed, picking the wood back up again.

"I don't believe you. But I guess I can't make you tell me what's wrong. Could you just do me a favor?" He asked.

"What?"

"Just… smile. Okay? I like it much better when you smile." He told me, grabbing another piece of wood from the ground, putting it on top of the pile he had in his hands.

That in itself made me smile at him. I laughed softly.

"What?" He frowned. "It's not supposed to be funny."

"Got me to smile, didn't it?" I laughed. He nodded back.

"Come on, Jen. Let's get back to camp."


	6. Chapter 5- Sneaking Another Peak

Chapter 5

I starred at the fire, watching everyone fall asleep. I waited until Kratos zoned out enough to not really notice what I was doing. We were on our way to the Ossa Trail just a few days after the fire seal. I hadn't gotten a chance to see what she had written yet, so here it is.

Day 2

Okay so apparently I'm still alive. Thankfully I can't throw up. Because I can't eat anymore. I mean, I can. But there's no taste. How do I explain it? It's like, I can feel the food on my tongue, but there's no sense of taste there at all. Just touch. I know I'll lose even that eventually. I still feel horrible though. I feel like I'm falling apart.

I had a bit of a conversation with Kratos a minute ago. He still scares me, but it's confusing because I know he has a heart. He asked how I was feeling, and for some reason, the words felt friendly. Understanding, in a way. He knows what's really happening to me, and the fact that he wants to comfort me, even the slightest bit, is the most comforting thing that could happen tonight.

I need more sleep. While I can still get it.

-Ami

Day 3

Raine and Genis are adorable. It's true. She's like the mother he never had. I forget sometimes that she's his sister because of how there's this sense of her unquestioned authority over him. But once in a while, you see them act like siblings. Like when they have to share a bed and they fight over pillows or when I found out he knows exactly where she's ticklish. I don't think any of us has ever laughed so hard. I'm going to wake up with abs.

We've been resting in Triet for the day after that whole ordeal, and I'm starting too really like this silly little desert town. Too bad we have to leave tomorrow…

-Ami

Day 4

I'm seriously tired, and I'm only still awake and writing because I'm honestly terrified to go to sleep…

Okay so I scared myself earlier by thinking about stuff. Like how Lloyd woke up this morning screaming about someone in his room. There are people after us. There are people trying to kill us. And all I can think is that there were times in the game (of course you had to do things just right to see these scenes) where Colette would wake up yelling about intruders in her room too. I'm SURE I sleep much deeper than Colette did. What if that happens and I don't wake up in time? This world is too dangerous for someone like me. I know I'm just being a burden on everyone at this point. I feel bad for them, having to deal with me.

So if all goes according to plan, we'll reach the trail tomorrow. We'll meet Sheena. I really need to get more rest for that. I guess I'll go sleep then. Wish me luck.

-Ami


	7. Chapter 6- Get Lost and Fight Ninjas

Chapter 6

The Ossa Trial was quite pretty. The trees were SO green and everything seemed to shimmer. The video game graphics did not do this justice. There were all kinds of animals wondering around, running from tree to tree, bush to bush. The monsters were easy enough to take care of. Most of the time, if we wounded one, it ended up running off and hiding. I almost forgot all about Sheena right up until the point when she jumped down from a high cliff, at the ready to fight. "STOP!"

"Woah!" I jumped back with Lloyd.

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" She glared.

Ami paused for a second, like she wasn't sure if she should answer, but I guess she realized keeping quiet was useless, since we all looked at her at that point anyway. She looked like she had to gather her courage before raising her hand and answering, "Yep, that's me." As she spoke, she stepped over to a switch that I knew opened a sort of trap door down into the mining tunnels below. Sheena didn't spot this.

"Prepare to die!" She ran at her. Ami kicked the switch, making it look like an accident. My heart stopped for a second when I thought that my friend was just about to die!

"Uh-oh!" Everyone said in unison.

Ami expressed her concern for Sheena's safety, looking down the shaft.

"It's okay Ami. She's probably not hurt." I told her. Genis explained in some weird scientific way that I only half understood, that the fall couldn't have killed the strange girl. We all agreed that moving on was the best option. As we walked away from the scene, I saw the guilt on my friends face. I wanted to ask if she was alright, but it seemed kind of out of place. I saw Lloyd at the head of the group, too far ahead for me taste. When he turned around the next corner down the trail, I broke into a jog.

"Lloyd, wait up!" I ran along the trail, meeting up with him when he stopped around the corner.

"H-huh? Oh, uh, yeah Jenni? What's wrong?" He heard me calling, turning around before walking around yet another corner.

"Nothing is wrong; I just think you're too far ahead. Look." As I caught my breath, I motioned behind us. The group wasn't even around the next corner yet. We stood there alone in a few seconds of silence. "So let's just stop and wait, okay? We don't want to get lost." Lloyd shrugged in response.

"We wouldn't get lost, I have a great sense of direction!" He crossed his arms.

I sighed, shaking my head. "I didn't mean you don't, I just…think…" My sentence cut short when I looked at the ground. I gulped, thinking for a second. We were standing on leaves, and surrounded by trees.

"You…think? What?" Lloyd wondered. "Jen?"

"This isn't the trail. This was made by some animal. The trail we should be on is dirt, man made." I told him. "GUYS?" I called loudly, trying to listen carefully for an answer back. When I didn't get a response, I looked to Lloyd, who was covering his ears. In a moment of realization, we both swallowed, looking at each other.

"Jen! I'm sorry!" Lloyd said, strain in his voice.

"I mean, are we just the two IDIOTS in the group, who can't possibly just pay attention to where we are! How far off the trail do you think we are? "I looked around again, trying to find something familiar, but nothing seemed to pop out at me.

"We can't be that far off. We weren't walking that long. We retraced our steps and-"

"Obviously, we didn't retrace right, because we are not back on the trail." I could hear hiccups coming up. Panic was rising and Lloyd noticed.

"Jenni. Calm down! I promise it's gonna be okay." He put a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't get it, Lloyd! We…we need to be down at the bottom of the mountain. W-what if they need our help if that girl shows up again?" Several things spun through my mind. The possibility of messing up the plot, getting Lloyd hurt or even killed, or if they really needed our help? What if Sheena actually gets to Ami? I could feel tears starting to whelm up.

"Is that seriously what you're worried about here?" He asked, giving me a dumb look.

I looked up at him. "H-huh?"

"You worry too much, Jenni. You just need to trust me." He smiled. I sighed, attempting to calm my nerves. In the time it took to get ourselves moving again, the sun hid behind some clouds and gave us some shade. Lloyd had his swords at the ready for anything, which made me feel a little better.

"Wait…" Lloyd grabbed my hand, pulling me back behind a tree. There was a loud rustle in the bushes. Lloyd's hands tightened around their hilts, his body tensing. We saw the large figure walk out from the bushes. My first thought was a monster. Lloyd jumped out, swinging his swords. Kratos shielded the strike with his forearm.

"K-kratos!" I've never been so glad to see the ass hole.

"K-kratos!?" Lloyd echoed me, taking his swords away. Kratos glared down at Lloyd.

"I found them." He called over his shoulder, the sound of annoyance in his voice.

Lloyd glared back at him. "We found you. We've been looking for you everywhere!" He tried to point ou

"T-thank you, Kratos." I said, having the urge to hug the man. However, I kept my hands to myself. Lloyd grumbled a thank you to him before we got back to the group.

When we met up with the group at the bottom of the mountain, Ami punched me in the arm. She claimed it wasn't a hard punch, but I swear it left a mark.

"Don't EVER run off with Lloyd again! Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Ami said, glaring at both me and Lloyd.

"It wasn't her fault, Ami. I went too far ahead and got us both lost." Lloyd tried to defend me. It just ended with Ami rolling her eyes.

"Let's just keep going." She said, turning from the rest of the group. She took a few steps away, off the inclined path. My eyes widened. I saw a small silver light reflect off the sun from inside the cave where Ami stood. We forgot about Sheena.

"AMS!" I yelled. Ami turned toward me, and just in time. A blade shot towards her face, slipping right past her cheek. Behind her, a ninja star embedded itself in a tree. We all stood like statues, not breathing. Ami then looked toward the cave. The assassin limped out from the shadows of the cave.

"I won't be caught off guard this time! Prepare to die!" With a quick jump forward, she threw another ninja star toward Ami. Kratos deflected it with his sword.

"Demon Fang!" He threw Sheena backward, using an upward slash in her direction. I shuffled through my arrows, trying to find a strong spell. I grabbed a runya arrow. This would have to do. I pulled the arrow back into my bow, and then let it fly. I thought I had a good shot, but Sheena was there one second and gone the next. All I did was accidently light a bush on fire.

I thought the sun was hiding behind another cloud for a second, but when I looked up, all I saw was a tall, dark monster Sheena had summoned. She had the power to summon monsters with the cards she held. This particular ugly beast arched over 7 feet tall. It reminded me of a ghost or demon. It hovered slightly from the ground, his hands hanging slow with long finger nail like claws. It whipped at the air, sending fire balls every which way. I grabbed an Alu arrow from my quiver, pulling it back into my bow. I aimed it toward the demon. When I blinked, the demon vanished into thin air.

"Jenni! Behind you!" I heard Genis yell. I spun around, arrow still pulled back at the ready. I gasped, seeing the demon tower over me. I let the arrow go without thinking. A water arrow to the face didn't make this guy very happy. He grabbed me by the arm, his nails cutting into my skin. I let out a yell as he threw me to the ground. The world spun fast. I couldn't really tell what was happening until I sat back up with Raine's help. I must have hit my head pretty hard, because Raine had to help me walk away from the battle. My ears still rang as she handed me a bottle and told me to drink it. I watched as the others did their best to bring down the demon. Sheena and Kratos were in a pretty bad wrestle. While she was distracted my Ami, Kratos would attack from behind. I guess that's when Sheena realized her biggest problem Kratos, because she turned on him and didn't turn away. It was right and left with spells. Her eyes were red with anger when she attacked. I hated seeing her like this. I wasn't expecting it to be like this at all. Sheena was beautiful, flawless and kind. It was so harsh seeing her lose her mind in a battle that wasn't her to be won.

"It's not that bad, Professor." I said, holding up my forearm, letting Raine look at the deep cut the demon gave me. It trailed from my elbow and down, stopping at the base of the pinky. It burned like hell, but I didn't want her to worry. "I'm sorry." I sighed.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Jennifer." She assured me. I thought to myself how useful she was for us. "Shoot…A-ah..." Raine took a deep breath in, holding her head.

"Are you alright?!" I blinked.

"I-…Im sorry, Jennifer. I've used too much mana. That is the best I can do for now." She took out a few bandages.

"It's not a problem, Professor. I'll just get Kratos to look at it when they are done over there." We had moved away from the battle so Raine could focus. "Well just wrap it up, and carry on!" I smiled, beginning to stand up, wiping the dirt from my legs.

"You picked the wrong guy to mess with." I heard Lloyd say as he put his swords back their sheaths.

"T-this isn't over." Sheena coughed, holding her side.

By the time Raine and I walked back over to the group, Sheena had run off. I hoped she was going to be okay. She was injured pretty bad by what I could see. I hoped Corrine would be able to help her. Corrine was Sheena's companion friend, a summon spirit resembling a fox.

Everyone seemed alright. I smiled, and put my hand up in the air, flagging down some help. "Kratos! Heal me, oh great one!"

Kratos gave me a blank stare. "Have you lost a large amount of blood?"

Ami laughed, shaking her head. "Nope. That's just all Jenni you've got there"

Lloyd gave me a sour look. He mouthed the words 'great one?' too me in confusion.

Kratos rolled his eyes, walking toward me. He took my arm carefully. When he pulled on the bandages I flinched a little. He put his hand right over the cut.

"You're gonna get blood all over your hands…" I pointed out.

"I don't mind blood. First-aid." He murmured. I inhaled sharply. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. This was nothing like Raines' mana flow! It was Cold, but warm at the same time. The pain stopped and then it felt as if my skin was being pulled back together. Kratos' healing arts might have been good, but it would still take time to heal completely. When I looked down at where the cut was, there was was a long scar, trailing down my arm.

"That was really awesome! Thanks Kratos." I tried to be appreciative.

"I would accept your thanks, but I rather not have you get hurt in the first place." He turned away.

I felt like a vein popped. I gritted my teeth and clutched my fists. "Fine, next time I'll go to the Professor. Lighten up, Kratos. You je-"

"Jenni. Shut it. He didn't mean anything by it. He was just saying that he doesn't want you to get hurt. YOU need to lighten up!" Ami glared at me. That made me bite my lip. What the heck had gotten into me?

"I'm sorry, Kratos." I said to the ground.

"Don't worry about it." He answered. In the distance, thunder rolled as dark clouds began to fade into view. I realized then that it had started to drizzle.

"Let's find some shelter from the rain." The professor broke the silence.

We all headed into the cave where we fought Sheena. It had started raining, and by the time we were able to finally sit in a dry spot, we were all soaking wet.

"Oh, no!" Genis was looking in one of his bags.

"What's wrong Genis?" Raine asked her brother, sitting down beside him.

"All of the food I had is wet! It's totally ruined!" He frowned, pulling out some soggy bread.

Raine smiled. "That's okay, Genis! I kept the left over dumplings I made last night! They are nice and dry!" Everyone had the same reaction. Lloyd and I looked at each other, eyes wide. He shook his head slightly, mouthing the words "please, Martel, no". I giggled.

"U-uh…That's okay, Raine. I'm not hungry right now." Genis gulped. As Raine offered everyone else her left over dumplings, Lloyd and I sat there, twiddling our thumbs. We sat againt the other wall of the cave, away from everyone.

Lloyd looked out at the rain, taking in a deep breath in with a soft smile growing on his face. I looked at him for a moment, tuning everything else out.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked openly.

Lloyd blinked, looking back at me. "Huh? Uh, nothing really; just how this is going to slow us down. It's been a long time since I've seen rain like this. Last time it rained like this in Iselia, the creek that's beside my house overflowed, and I remember walking down stairs and my dad was waist high in water. I had to go get him out of the mud, because the water had turned our floor into quicksand pretty fast. I didn't know how to swim at the time. I was only about 6 or 7 maybe. It was terrifying!" He said, with a small chuckle. "I thought my dad was going to be swept away! I look back, realizing how small I must have been back then. I don't know how I got him out of it." He shook his head.

"Well you had the help of that exphere." I pointed out, tapping the head of the small red stone that was on his hand. "Your mom helped you." I told him. I really believed it.

He looked at me quickly, his eyes big. "I don't remember if I had it on that day."

"Eh…" I shrugged. "Your mom would have helped you anyway. I bet she was a really stubborn woman. Whether she was alive or not, her baby needed her help. It doesn't take a stone to watch over her son. She's with you all the time." I gave him soft smile and he returned one.

While we waited for the rain to stop, we all were able to start a small fire with some wood we found around the cave. We all did our best to dry off, getting warm by the fire, and taking turns walking around the corner to wring out our clothes that were still pretty wet. It was really bitter in the cave, the wind chilling us to the bone. I laid down, putting my head on my backpack. As I started to drift off to sleep, I was interrupted by a dog sniffing at my ear. I opened my eyes to Noishe whining. His nose nudged at my bag. He could smell some of the spiced pita bread I got in Triet.

"Ugh. Noishe. That's all I have left…" I sat up, rubbing my eyes. He looked at me again.

"Arrroo…" He whined. I sighed, pulling out the damp bread. I tore it in half, handing him some of it and biting the other half. Noishe then put his nose to my bag again, shoving it against the wall, and laid down in the spot where it had been. I was able to lie down on his stomach for just a second. I smiled, taking a big deep breath. He was so warm and fuzzy.

"Grrrrr…" He rumbled a growl.

"It's only 'cause I had yummy food, right, buddy?" I sat back up and I grabbed my bag again for a new pillow.

"ARF." He barked. I didn't know what he meant, but he didn't seem too happy. I faced the other side of the cave, seeing the others sitting against the wall. Genis was lying down, his head on his sister's lap as she leaned against the wall, eyes closed. Ami was sitting a few feet from Kratos, messing with her yo-yo in her lap. Kratos, every now and then, would look over at her when she made some noise; like 'ouch' or 'dang it'. Her new weapon had been damaged in the fight with Sheena and despite Raine's advice; she wanted to try to fix it herself. She sat there with a small tool and her yo-yo, flipping the blade back and forth, testing it. It worked better, for the most part, after she'd mess with it more. Kratos would speak up a little bit, pointing something out she'd miss. She'd blush in embarrassment and then say thank you. He gave her a disbelieving look when she said something about not needing or wanting his help. We both knew that was a lie.


	8. Chapter 7- Entry Day 5

Chapter 7

Day 5

I think I fancy myself a bit of a badass. When Sheena showed up today, I was scared. But I just sort of pulled the trap door lever and she fell, just like in the game. I seriously didn't think I could pull that off. We had a really bad time fighting her. I didn't want to fight, but she came out of nowhere and attacked us! I just want to hurry up and be friends with her. I love Sheena. Every time Kratos' blade flashed near her, I wanted to scream. I don't want to be enemies. Dammit.

She hurt Jenni pretty bad, but they're both okay. They'll both be okay, as long as Jen and Kratos don't end up at each other's throats too often. They act like children toward each other. I like it best when they're separated like they are now. Lloyd is over there watching the rain and talking to Jen.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thankful for the rain. It washed away all the blood of today's battles, and I walked out in it for a minute and it washed my face from all the sweat and cooled me down from today's heat. It will be colder tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that. Maybe Kratos is too. I don't think he knows I saw, but he's been really close to smiling about something for a couple minutes. I wonder what he's thinking. I'll go talk to him.

He's still not very talkative. I'll get something out of him eventually. Time to sleep.

-Ami


	9. Chapter 8- Questions on a Boat

Chapter 8

From the Ossa Trail, we headed south. Isoold shouldn't be that far. I could see the ocean from where we stood. We had taken a 5 minute break at the top of a hill.

"Here…" Genis handed me a one of the small sandwiches he made once his bread dried.

"Thanks, Genis. What about you?" I asked. He had given away all of the sandwiches he had.

"I'm not that hungry. It's okay, Jenni." He smiled, sitting beside me on the moss covered rock.

"Here… I could afford to eat less." I giggled, handing him half of my sandwich.

"A-are you sure?" He blushed a little bit, surprised.

"Of course. We're all in this together, right? We gotta keep our strength up." I bit into the sandwich. "Oh gosh! This is yummy!" I smiled. Despite the bread being previously destroyed, it was amazing.

"You seem shocked." Genis laughed.

"Well, I just…what did you put on this?!" I took another bite. I was debating to take back the half I gave him. It was that good.

Genis shrugged. "Some honey and basil, and a little lemon on the meat. The salt made the bread less harsh of texture.

"Oh gosh, Genis. You really know what you're doing!" I licked my lips. I couldn't remember the last sandwich I had that was this good. Genis chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's not that hard." He stated. Genis reminded me so much of my little brother, Andrew. He was around the same age as him, and was kind. I bit my lip, remembering Andrew.

"W-what?" Genis asked why I was staring at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. You just remind me of someone I know." I mumbled quietly. It was then when I really started to miss home. Something turned in my stomach, made me cringe. This was the WORST time to randomly start getting emotional.

"Oh? Who?" He asked innocently.

"My…little brother." I told him. Ami told me to try not to say much about our world, but Genis didn't have to know details about home.

"You have a little brother?" He blinked.

I smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I do. His name is Andrew. I…really miss him." I guess Genis didn't really know what to say, because it went quiet after that.

"I'm sorry." He said after a little bit.

"Sorry? For what?" I wondered.

"That you have to be here. Is he all alone?" He gulped.

"Um… no. Our mom is home with him."

"You have a mom too?" His must have realized how silly it sounded to ask that question, because he bit his lip.  
I laughed, nodding. "Yes."

"And a dad?" He asked. That's where I got quiet. Why was I tell him all this?

"U-um. My dad isn't home anymore. He left us. A-anywa-"

"Left? Your family is…separated?" He asked. I didn't want to leave him hanging. I just kept things simple.

"Well, yes. But it doesn't feel like that. I have my mom, and my brother, and my other siblings. And most of the time, that's all we need. Raine takes care of you, and you make her happy. At the end of the day, all you need is family. It doesn't feel so broken anymore because that's really all you need." Genis looked at me and then looked over at Raine who was speaking with Kratos at the moment.

"Raine…is sometimes crazy. Sometimes she's bossy. But…You're right." He took a bite out of the sandwich. "Sometimes, she's all it takes to make the day not so bad. My big sister is all I have sometimes, and I'm proud to be her little brother. She's the best." A small smile grew on his face.

As we entered Isoold, I couldn't stop staring at the water and the ships. Movies and video games did these no justice. It wasn't the size of these ships, but the antique feel they showed as you listened to the water splash against the sides of them. With the waves, the small fishing boats rocked against the wind. Stained and torn, the sheets hung down the boats mast in the wind.

"Jen!" I heard Ami call. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, catching up to the group that had already moved on down the dock.

"We're looking for a man named Max? He's supposed to take us to Palmacosta?" I asked Kratos, who was at the back of the group with me. I wanted to make sure that he didn't hate me for yelling at him the other day when I got hurt by Sheena's monster. I felt horrible, but decided that Kratos wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

"I suppose that is correct. He is a captain of one of these ships." He looked around. There were no sailors in view.

"Where is everyone?" I wondered, my eyes scanning the ships. Ami came up to me, leaning over to my ear.

"All of the sailors are too scared to go out to sea. That's why we had to get this girl to make one of them take us to Palmacosta"

"Do we still have to take that letter to that Aifread guy?" I asked. Lyla, this girl we were talking about, was our way to get to Palmacosta. The bossy little girl was apparently going to make this guy Max take us. I think he'd do anything she'd ask.

"Guys! Over here!" I saw Genis wave his hands in the air. When we neared the rest of the group, I was expecting to see everyone happy to have found our ride. I walked up to Lloyd who was standing at the edge of the dock, looking at a few ships.

"So which one is ours?" I asked him excitedly. He didn't speak; he just raised his hand and pointed. Down the dock steps was a small wooden boat wedged between two massive ships. I stared down at a man, waving to us. Genis stood next to him, trying to motion us to come down.

"This is not my OTP." I heard Ami mumble. She was in a blank stare also. I looked over at her with a strong chuckle. I took her hand. "Come on. It's not that bad." We all went down to the edge of the dock. Genis had to hold the Professors hand as she got onto the boat. It wiggled in the water, shifting back and forth to everyone's weight. The boat was the size of a pontoon boat, stretching about 20 to 25 feet at most.

"Alright, everyone. I'm Max. I'm only doing this because Lyla asked me too. Please don't touch the water when we head out to sea. There are monsters that like to bite off hands." He chuckled as he untied the rope from the dock. "Juuust kidding." He pushed us off into the harbor.

Raine stood beside me, looking at the deck of the boat and not looking away. Her fear was not unnoticeable to anyone who looked at her.

"Professor? You gonna be okay?"

"Of course! There's nothing wrong at all." She gulped.

"Why don't you just sit down?" I said as I sat on one of the side benches. Raine nodded.

"Good idea." She sat down, watching Genis run back and forth on the boat. He and Lloyd were having the time of their life. Ami and Kratos stood at the back of the boat, looking back at the dock. Ami waved goodbye to some kids who were standing at the tip of the dock. A few of them were jumping off into the water and having fun swimming. Kratos and Ami were talking about something. After the fire seal, Kratos, I suppose had started to open up to her, which wasn't a bad thing.

"Genis! Lloyd! Settle down PLEASE." Raine yelled. It made me jump. Genis and Lloyd said sorry, sitting on the other side's bench. I looked out over the side of the boat. The water was crystal clear. Fish swam under the boat, their silver scales reflecting the sun and the swishing the water. I reached down to touch the water, being splashed in the face by one of the fish.

"GAH!" I spat, rubbing the salt water from my face. My hair dripped as Raine gasped.

"Are you okay?!" She put a hand on my shoulder. I howled a laugh, pulling my long sandy red hair back off my face.

"Totally fine!" I spat more salt from my lips.

"Jen! He said not to touch the water!" Lloyd walked over to me, laughing.

"Mehh, Shut up." I pulled my soaked hair back, whipping Lloyd in the face. "AH! Sorry!" Lloyd whipped down his face, shaking his head, holding back a laugh.

"It's okay, Jen." He sighed, sitting down beside me. When the boat sank down with his weight on that side, Raine jumped up, running over to the other side where Genis was sitting. The boat then evened out. "This is amazing! Don't you think?" He said, looking down at the water.

I nodded. "The water is so clear. Enough to make you want to jump in. Have you ever been to Palmacosta, Lloyd?"

"No. But I've heard it's amazing there. A city on the beach!"

"I've never been there." I shrugged.

"Say Jen. How old are you?" He asked.

"Well that was random. 17…why?"

"I just was wondering. Elves are usually a lot older than they look. Raine still won't tell me her age, and Genis…well, I've always just assumed he was younger than me, just because of how he acts. I…don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean he is still a kid."

"I'm 17. We've been traveling for a few weeks, I don't even know what day it is anymore. My birthday is next month. June 8th. I'll be 18 then." I told Lloyd. It was nice not to have to lie to him.

"Me too! Uh…I mean I'm 17."

"Oh. When's you're birthday?" I asked. In the corner of my eye, I saw Kratos lift his head, his eyes on us.

"Uh, well, in August. My dad…well, Dirk, he's not my real dad. He found me when I was a kid. We decided that since we didn't know when I was born, I could pick my birthday. I picked the day he found me." He smiled. I bet Kratos knew the exact day his son was born. I bet he remembered it like it was yesterday. I wondered if he could hear us. I wondered how he felt about his son celebrating on the day his wife, Lloyds mother, died.

"Oh. Well I guess it's a new beginning! It works!" I smiled, nodding. I saw Kratos stand, about to walk away. "Do you remember anything about your parents?" This made Kratos stop. I wanted him to stop.

"U-uh...Not really. I… don't know. I was really young. Maybe 4 years old. I remember my mom…had brown hair. Dark brown hair. And…my dad…" He looked out at the ocean, thinking hard. I looked up at Kratos then quickly back to Lloyd when I realized Kratos was looking right at me. "My dad was really tall. I…" He shook his head. "I would get on his shoulders and look at stars. I remember that because… I use to get dreams a lot. About stars. I don't remember anything else about them. Not their faces. Not their voices. I just remember my mom's hair because I use to like to grab it I think. Or hide in it." He smiled, shrugging. "I just remember weird stuff like that. Heh." He shook his head with a sigh.

"That was your mother right? Beside your house?" I asked about the grave stone. Lloyd nodded.

"Then…where do you think your dad is?" I asked. That got another rise out of Kratos. A slight shift of the shoulders and a sigh.

"No clue." He shook his head. "But I have my dad back in Iselia. Dirk is a great dad. I love him. He took care of me. And taught me the dwarven vows." He smiled.

"Dwarven vow number one?"

"Let's all work together for a peaceful world." He answered.

"Two?" I quizzed him.

"Never abandon someone in need." He answered with a smile. I could see this was getting him in a better mood.

"That's a good one. Three?"

"U-uh…" He got stuck.

"Oh come on. You've got this." I raised an eye brow. I saw Ami lift her head, staring at him, her eyes wide.

"The finest steel…goes through the hottest fire." He smiled like a dork. As did I, but I lost my smile soon when I realized something.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked when I was frowning.

"N-nothing… just cold." I had just remembered, as I'm sure Ami did too, that the 3rd dwarven vow was never stated in the video game. It was just a slow reminder that we aren't playing some kind of program. A reminder that we have zero room for mistakes. There are no save points. And there is no reset button.

"Oh…well here." Lloyd grabbed a small cape that was tied to the end of one of the bags. "I was able to get this in Triet. Who needs a cape in the desert, right? I got it for almost nothing." He put it on my shoulders, gently rubbing my back for a moment. I smiled softly, leaning on him. It was then when I realized how weird I must have looked. How close I was to him. A thousand thoughts ran through my head. One stuck out the most. Don't. Get. Attached.

I sat back up.

"Jen?" Lloyd frowned as he saw me lean on the wood paneling that ran around the boat.

"Sorry. Just tired."

"You're just a lot of things. Aren't you?" He sigh with a softly, very Lloyd-like smile.

"Yeah. I guess so." I shrugged, watching the water slosh against the boat again and again. I closed my eyes, letting the soft rhythm of the water ease this feeling. The closer we get to Palmacoasta, the closer we are to the next seal, the closer we are to Ami losing her ability to sleep, and the closer she is to becoming less and less alive. I prayed more than anything, that this journey wouldn't change us. And it scares me a little bit that it just might.


	10. Chapter 9- A Visit from a Renegade

Chapter 9

I lay back against the head board, flinching to the touch of the cold wood on my sunburned back. We made it to Palmacosta yesterday night as the sun was setting. As everyone wanted to look around the town at the new shops and buy new weapons and books, I decided to go back to the room for a little nap. I wish I was able to lie down without being in immense pain. Raine said that she was going to try to look for a spell in the library that could help with sunburn. For now, I looked out the window from my bed, watching the water splash against the docks. I took a deep breath in, letting it out slow. Everything seemed so peaceful here, the air so crisp, and temperature not too hot or too cold. So what kept me inside? Why wasn't I out there with the others, roaming the shops? I got plenty of sleep last night. Why was I so tired?

I leaned up when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in…" I waited as the door opened slowly.

"I've decided to come in peace at the moment, but this will not happen again. I need to speak with you." Yuan walked into my room. I gulped, grabbing one of Ami's extra knifes we use for cooking.

"What are you doing here, Yuan?" I stood up from my bed, backing up.

"Are you deaf, girl? I said I came to speak with you. I mean no harm, not yet anyway." He stepped across the room. His hair was pulled back put of his face almost entirely. The small amount of hair he usually has hanging down over his face was pulled back cleanly. His long cape hid his arms and draped to the floor by his feet. I couldn't see a weapon, but that didn't mean he didn't have one.

"W-what about? Would you rather speak with-"

"I came to speak with you. Will you kindly shut up and let me?" He gritted his teeth. "I've been searching through data from your home. I've noticed a few things that are beginning to confuse me. I believe it would be easier to get the information I need out of you than the Chosen."

"What information? Didn't you get background information on our world before you made an attempt to teleport us? Don't you know where we are from?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No…all details about the Chosen's life were… for lack of a better word… blurry, to our systems. Her name brought up a few things, such as data on her school record file and any crimes she has committed against your city, and also the names of her mother and father, her blood type, and any medical history that was ever recorded digitally. The same goes for you. However, I never planned on bringing you here, so your data was not looked at until just a few days after you where already here." He went quiet for a moment.

"So? Why are you here…?" I gulped.

"What is…a facebook?" He stared at me questioningly.

"E-excuse me?" I nearly burst into laughter. "Facebook? Why the hell are you asking me about-"

"What is it?" He glared.

"U-uh…well…it's a social networking website for friends to communicate through a computer. What on earth is going on h-"

"When I typed in your name, Jennifer Peterson, it sprung up. I found this was a way I could learn the missing details. Your friends, your education, and your interests, such as games you like to play." He stared me down as my eyes got wide.

"I still don't understand your point. I get that you want to do a little background check on who's going to be on this journey, but-"

"What is Tales of Symphonia and what is your connection to it…?" He took a few steps more toward me.

"u-uh…" I backed up. The floor beneath me creaked. "I-it's just a video game I played back in my world!" I was sweating, shaking, and nearly about to pass out from the shock of this intrusion.

"What are you not telling me, Jennifer?! It's more than just a game, because it has illustrations that are significantly similar to a lot of important things. You and I both know that-"

"H-HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "SOMEONE PLEASE! HEL-" Yuan silenced me with a shock to the stomach. It was a punch that kept going and going. Yuan had one of his electric spheres do his work. I couldn't scream, let alone breathe as the shock waves ran across my skin and buried into hairs on my arms and legs. I slid down the wall, attempting to gain control of my lungs again when Yuan stood at my feet. I lifted my eyes to the half elf.

"J-jenni?! Jenni, open the door!" I heard Lloyd yell from the other side of the door. He began to bang on it. I also heard Ami out there, trying to get in as well.

"I will be back, Jennifer, and I want answers next time. I don't have any trouble with killing you. It's the chosen who is far more important than you are." Yuan said as he left my gaze. I couldn't move. I guessed that he escaped out the window. I closed my eyes and lost consciousness when I saw Lloyd break in the door, kneeling beside me on the floor.

When I opened my eyes it was night time. I was lying on a bed, on top of the sheets with the covers pulled up to my waist. I felt a hand on my bare stomach and it was cold. As everything started to come back to me, my blurry vision subsided.

"She's waking up…" Genis said quietly. I heard a chair move as someone stood up from across the room.

"Everyone needs to just give her some space. Lloyd, Genis, leave for now while we talk to her." I heard the professor say.

"But professor-!" Lloyd protested.

"Come on, Lloyd. She's right." Genis dragged his friend out of the room and the door closed.

"W-what happened?" I asked, trying to move. Kratos had been healing me, his hand still on my stomach. He put a hand to my shoulder, pushing me back down.

"Please do not move, I'm trying to concentrate." He said quietly.

"We were hoping you could tell us what happened to you." Raine said, walked up to the bed.

I gulped, shaking my head.

"W-why can't feel anything…?" I asked Kratos.

"Your burn was pretty server; I didn't want you to be in pain. It will wear off soon."

"Are you okay Jen?" I hear a voice say. It barely sounded like her, but it was Ami. She was sitting beside me in a chair, holding my hand. I couldn't even feel her. She was so quiet; I didn't even realize she was there until she spoke.

"I…I think so. Yeah. I'm okay." I smiled for her. Her cheeks were damp from tears. She usually got very upset whenever I got hurt or anyone did for that matter. I wonder if she blamed herself. It's what it looked like.

"Okay…good. I'm so sorry, Jen." She gulped. Raine put a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Amelia. Any one of us could have been in here. We don't know why they attacked her, but she's going to be just fine. I trust Kratos' healing arts even more than my own." The professor reassured her. Ami nodded, but still looking pretty guilty.

"Its fine, Ami. Its…an occupational hazard." I smiled again. And she smiled back softly.

"Do you remember anything, Jennifer?" Kratos asked, taking his hand away from my stomach, and pulling my shirt down over the purple, slightly burned, wound.

"N-no. Not really. Just some guy jumped in from the window, sent that damn ball at me, and left me there." I gulped. I felt the numbness wear away when Kratos stopped casting his healing arts. There wasn't as much pain as I was setting myself up for, thanks to Kratos. "Thank you…" I started to sit up, just a little. Not enough to get Kratos fussing at me again.

"Make sure you're always with someone from now on. We will tell Genis and Lloyd later, but we can no longer be alone." Raine spoke.

"We got it." I heard Lloyd said from the door. "Can we come in now?" They both begged.

"Yes." I said loudly as they both then filed into the room. "What is our next move tomorrow?" I looked at Raine.

"I did some research and if I'm not mistaken, the next seal isn't far from here." She answered. "Thoda dock is only just north of here."

"_If_ we went straight there. Like over the mountains. Can we DO that?" I raised an eyebrow. Raine gave me a strange look.

"I don't see why we can't." She pulled out a map, rolling it out on the table that stood in the middle of the room. I couldn't see it very well but I knew what she was talking about. The rest of the group stood over the map as she pointed down the paper. "We could cut a few days off our travel if we went over this mountain range instead of going around it." She nodded.

"I agree. This seems like the best way to make use of our time." Kratos said, looking at the others.

"What about the next seal after that? I'm sure it's gotta be to the north, and if we can't take another boat out to sea, we have to find some way to get through Hakonesia Peak." I said after clearing my throat.

"You know your geography…" Raine said, looking at me suspiciously.

"I'm from Asgard, its right next to the Peak. It's said that the wind seal is around that area. Who knows if the seal could be in Asgard itself?" I shrugged.

"Alright. To Thoda dock…then Hakonesia Peak? Sounds like a plan I can follow!" Lloyd smiled. He was glad there was no more confusion as to what we were going to do.

Our heads turned as we heard some arguing coming from outside our window. We were on the second floor of the Inn.

"Leave her alone!" A woman's voice rang.

"Mom!" A young girl yelled. We heard laughing. I couldn't see what was going on down on the street, but I knew it was Chocolat and her mother.

"It's those desians again! Damn it! Why isn't anyone doing anything?" Lloyd said as he was getting on his jacket and boots.

"Lloyd, wait. Don't get involved. This town doesn't have a non-aggression treaty with the desians like Iselia did, there's nothing we can do!" I said, shaking my head as I tried to get out of the bed. Just then, we all heard a slap, and the laughing stopped.

"Just stay away from us!" Chocolat's mother yelled.

"How dare you, peasant?! You will pay for this…" I heard the men leave the scene.

"Are you guys alright!?" Lloyd poked his head out the window, looking down at the women.

"Just fine, now." I heard the mother say. Once the two women went back inside, Lloyd closed the window, turning around to the group.

"Those filthy desians! I wouldn't be surprised if your attacker today was one of them too, Jen." He gritted his teeth. His fists were closed tight as he glared at the floor in anger.

"Lloyd…" I frowned. "It will be alright. As we just saw, these people have dealt with the desians and know how to fight back. They can take care of themselves until we have a better plan than just to attack." I gulped, hoping these words would calm him down. I looked over at Ami, who was staring right at me. I had sort of just made our plans for the next week or so.

In the video game, you could choose what order you wanted to do things. We COULDN'T fight back until we heard news that chocolat's mother was to be executed. That wouldn't happen until we got to Hakonesia Peak. I couldn't find a good reason to go there unless we were going to the wind seal. So this was how it had to be. We had to keep the journey going, and let these things happen. Once the water seal was taken care of, that's one more check of the list, then next is to end the oppression of desians on Palmacosta.

Ami gave me a nod, which I guess meant she agreed with what the plan was.


	11. Chapter 10- Water Seal and Poison

Chapter 10

"Careful, Genis…" Raine's voice shook as she helped her little brother into the washtubs. There were no boats at Thoda dock, only three small wooden washtubs sitting in the water with paddles. Thoda gauzier was not too far from where we were. We could see the small island from the dock. It was too far to swim though.

"I am being careful! Everything is fine, Raine." Genis said to his sister as they pushed off from the dock to join us in the water.

I was paired up with Lloyd in a washtub, letting him use the paddle as I tried to keep the tub from tipping over. Kratos was with Ami, and Genis with Raine.

We all paddled over to the small island, seeing the gauzier go off, shooting off into the sky.

"Did you see that?!" Genis smiled as he crawled out of the tub. There were several people standing around the popular tourist attraction.

"Yeah! This is so cool!" Lloyd said as he looked over his shoulder. He held out his hand to help me out of the tub.

"H-hey! Pay attention or I'll fall in!" I said to Lloyd, who was distracted by the gauzier. It shot out of the ground, steam went everywhere, letting a horrible hiss sound and shake the ground.

"WOAH!" Lloyd stumbled, and I pulled his hand at the wrong time. We both fell back into the washtub. He tried to catch his fall by grabbing onto the side of the tub, making it shift backwards violently. Thankfully I grabbed his arm, pulling him into the tub before he fell in, but it ultimately ended in him falling on top of me. We both were as still as possible to keep the tub from tipping. "S-sorry, J-jenni…" He panted, quietly apologizing. He shifted awkwardly as he got up. He then properly helped me out of the tub. Everyone waited for us up the path.

"The hell was that about?" Ami mumbled to me as we made our way in search of the pedestal to open the door into the water seal.

"Lloyd being…" I sighed, shaking my head. My face felt hot, and I didn't doubt it was red. "…being Lloyd."

"And Jenni being Jenni, I'm guessing…" She mocked.

"Oh shut it." I bit my lip, trying to hide my smile.

We made it to the top of the path next to the gauzier. Ami smiled as she found the tablet to open the door, putting her hand over it. I watched as mana formed over the gauzier, making a solid bridge over to a cave that perched over the water.

"Bingo!" I ran over to the bridge. I pushed my foot on the glass looking path. When it seemed firm enough, we all headed inside carefully.

Inside the cave was lit by small torches on the rocks. As you walked, water would start to soak into your shoes because of the puddles. This cave was miraculous, stretching way over your heads and below your feet on its lower levels. Every rock dripped with water as steam rose from the hot streams that ran beside the paths.

"Oh my god…" I was able to mumble out as my eyes tried to see how far the cave went up. The darkness clouded my vision as we made our way down the stairs. With every drop of water that echoed through the cave, you could really since how vast its corridors went.

"ECHO!" Lloyd yelled. His voice shouted back at us after a moment.

"How far down do we have to go?" I asked Ami, who I trust the most to tell us where to go. When I thought about it, she probably knew the least.

"This place isn't…anyway like I thought it was going to be, Jen. Look there." She pointed down where the stairs we were taking down started to flatten out into a level room. "It's so…much bigger, Jenni. And so much darker."

_This is nothing like how it is in the game._ I thought as we all carefully made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Here!" Genis said as he flagged us over. He was standing next to some sort of magical structure. It stood about 4 feet off the ground, its marble arms holding water that floated in mid air.

"What is that?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow. Then it all clicked. We had seen this before in the Martel Temple. This was how we originally got what was called the Sorcerers Ring. The sorcerers ring is what was used to light the torches that helped us get through the fire seal.

"It is made to manipulate the Sorcerers Ring." I said, noticing that Raine knew the same thing, and was about to state just that. She gave me a weird look as if she was confused as to how I knew that, but decided to drop it.

"How? And why?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"I…don't know how. And maybe it's to help us get through to the Seal. Like we did in the Triet Ruins." I shrugged. "Look…in the water…" I pointed. In the center of the floating ball of magical water, there was a small white jewel.

"Reach in there and grab the jewel with the Sorcerers Ring on, Lloyd. It adapts itself. I've studied these before many times." Raine spoke up. Lloyd nodded and did so, reaching into the ball, grabbing the jewel. The water lost its anti gravity-ness and dropped to the floor with a splash. We backed away as Lloyd looked at the ring again.

"It's blue now!" He smiled in his small victory, showing everyone now that instead of fire shooting out of this magic ring, water flowed as if from a stream. The red jewel was left floating inside the arms of the structure.

"We'll change it back when we are done here." Kratos said, making his way down one of the corridors. "Let's keep moving."

Ami nodded, agreeing with the mercenary. She ran back up beside him. I hadn't read her journal lately, but by this sight, I'm guessing Kratos had begun to grown on her a little more. She stood close enough to him to maybe cling to his arm if she wanted to, but she probably wouldn't dare.

"What are you smiling about?" Raine raised an eyebrow, standing beside me with her arms crossed.

"U-uh …sorry! It was nothing! I was just…going." I quickly cleared my mind of Ami and Kratos, moving forward out of Raine's scary glare. I was getting tired of people asking me questions. Would it help if I not do or say anything? Maybe it would…

The event with Yuan the other evening was still hot on the brain. I never imagined he could be so terrifying. _I don't have any trouble killing you, Jennifer. _His words stuck in my ears like ice on skin for too long. He could do it. He could kill me.

I ran my hand along the inside of my buttoned tunic; my fingers touching the bandages Raine set to keep from any further damage. I didn't want to find out what else Yuan was capable of doing. And I hoped he wouldn't get another chance to talk to me alone. His questions were too hard to answer. What if he knew that I had this knowledge? What if he knew Ami did as well? He would probably torture us for information. _Isn't he already doing that?_ I wondered. It might get worse though. It could ruin everything.I hadn't even told Ami that it was Yuan who attacked me. I'm guessing that she just assumed it was him, because she hasn't asked or said a word to me but "are you okay" or "everything alright with the thing on your stomach?" We have such a strange relationship.

I watched as she followed Kratos into the next room. This room was far bigger than the last. It was a cavern of lights and waterfalls spilling out of ancient waterways. There were carvings in the marble that resembled Atlantian artwork and sculptures that stood in the rocks that were chiseled by hand.

"Where did Lloyd and Genis go?" I asked, spinning around after a moment of realization that they were nowhere to be found.

"They went up there!" Ami pointed above us to a ledge. Lloyd and Genis were busy filling pots with water with the help of the Sorcerers Ring. It was when the ground shook slightly when we knew they did something right. "Alright, now toss the Ring down!" Ami said to Lloyd.

"We've got a problem , Lloyd!" Genis yelled.

"Coming!" Lloyd quickly tossed the ring down to us on the lower level so we could start to fill the triggering pots with water. Kratos caught it before it landed in the steaming water beside us.

"Good catch!" I smiled to him.

"We've got company…" Kratos pocketed the ring and unsheathed his sword. I turned around and faced a monster. Have you ever seen a shark swim above water? Cause this was EXACTLY what this was. A floating giant ass SHARK was coming right for the group. And it wasn't alone, small little starfish stood on the ground by its sides. Accept it looked like these guys were genetically mutated to have very sharp needle like points to their arms.

"Don't get stung by these starfish. Their poisons can be fatal if panacea bottle isn't given fast." Raine said, starting to cast a small spell to bring everyone's energy up. "Charge!"

After a few arrows to as many starfish as I could count, the battle was almost over. Kratos and Ami were taking care of the shark. I thought I helped them out by sending a fire arrow at JAWS, but Kratos got a little irritated when he couldn't have the last blow.

"And that's how it's done…" I smirked, nodding to Kratos who glared back at me.

"Let's get back to Lloyd and Genis." He shook his head, looking over at Ami, who was using the Sorcerers Ring to fill the last remaining pot. When she did, a platform rose from the stream, making a pathway to the Water Seal Portal. That would take us to the "boss room" just the same as in the Fire Seal.

"P-professor!" We heard Lloyd. He seemed to be in trouble by the sound of his voice.

"What's wrong Lloyd? Are you alright?!" Raine yelled. We ran towards the stairs.

"I'm fine, Professor!" His voice echoed. We ran around the staircase, finally making it to the corridor that lead to them. "It's Genis…" Lloyd looked up to Raine as she came around the corner. Lloyd was kneeling by Genis who was on the floor, shaking and writhing in pain. He held his shoulder, close to his neck.

"What happened?!" Raine ran to them, kneeling by her brother. Lloyd opened his hand, two stingers rolled in his palm.

"I t-took them out. The starfish got to him from behind." Lloyd gulped.

"Get me a panacea bottle. NOW" Raine growled, looking to me. I frantically looked through my pack, grabbing one.

"H-here, Raine!" I handed her one after I uncapped the bottle.

She put it to Genis' lips, asking him to drink it. His skin was so white, he looked so cold. His eyes were closed so tight, and he probably couldn't hear us.

"Genis! Genis, look at me!" Raine yelled. Genis took a deep breath, starting to drink the bottle as fast as he could. He could hear her voice. When he opened his eyes, he saw her.

"I…im…fine, sis. S-stop…c-crying…" The kid smiled, coughing a little bit.

"I am NOT crying." She gulped, shaking her head. She pulled him into a tight hug. We all had the same reaction and exhaled at the same time. Lloyd threw the stingers into the water.

"You okay?" I said to Lloyd quietly as we started to get into motion again.

"Y-yeah…" He nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay now that Genis is alright. I'm ready to get out of here." He sighed.

"Well, after this next room, we are out of here." I said, walking in the direction of the portal. Ami was the first one, followed by Kratos. I teleported last after getting one more look at the cavern behind us.


	12. Chapter 11- Kratos the Healer

Chapter 11

Before I could think to move, a wave of water threw Raine and me almost 15 feet. We were facing three monsters. Two smaller ones and a larger, more intimidating one in the middle was our test to release the water seal. My eyes ran up and down the tall mermaids. They floated in mid air with mana to guide them. Their whole bodies were made of scales, unlike what you would think. Sticking out down their arms grew fins. Their faces were dark with black eyes. It was when they screeched when it was worst. You couldn't focus, and you felt like your head would explode.

"Damn it!" I yelled as I started to get back up. Covering my ears, I closed my eyes. The screech from the smaller mermaid far worse as it echoed back at us. Genis yelled something from across the battle field, but I couldn't hear him.

"I'm f-fine! Keep going!" I yelled back, holding my stomach. When I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, a circle appeared beneath me. "Oh…thank you…!" I said, exasperated. I looked up to see who casted the first aid spell.

"You're welcome." Kratos said from behind me. He ran by me, jumping back into the fight. I put a hand to my heart.

I stared at the man. The mana from his healing arts tended to linger. It gave you a moment of bliss. I'd compare it to being high if I knew what being high felt like.

"Keep going! I did not heal you so you could stand there!" Kratos yelled back at me as he took a sword to the smaller monster. I bit my lip, glaring, aiming an arrow at the monster he was fighting. When I got a good aim, I shot the damn harpy in the neck. "Jennifer!" Kratos yelled. "You could have made a mistake! KEEP THOSE ARROWS AWAY FROM MONSTERS WE ARE ALREADY ATTACKING!"

"I had a good shot! I know you're jealous cause you like to kill stuff, but cool your jets, Kratos!" I joked, smiling in victory as the monster stopped attacking him and fell. I had aimed for her head, but her neck was close enough.

Kratos glared at me coldly, walking toward me. His walk said calm, but his eyes were mad with anger.

"How dare you accuse me of such insolence, Jennifer!?" He said to me sternly, and got to close for comfort. I had to take a few steps back. "I advise you to keep your mouth closed before I do something I won't regret."

"S-Sorry! It was just a joke, Kratos!" I backed up more. It had gotten quiet; the battle had been over since I shot that monster. The whole group stood from afar, watching the dramatic scene play out. I stood there, not able to look at him. I kept my eyes on the floor. I bet he could see me shaking. "I-I'm sorry!" My words caught in my throat. "I-I…I should have t-thought about it before I shot the a-arrow! I-I'm sorry!" _Oh shit. _ I thought to myself as tears started to roll down my face.

"Kratos…" I heard Lloyd say as he walked closer. His voice was firm. "Back up." I heard his voice get closer. When I finally lifted my head to look at him, he had stepped between Kratos and me.

"Guys!" I heard Genis say when Remiel, the angel appeared before Ami. She had begun to step forward to open the water seal. Kratos had stepped away after giving Lloyd a glare. I didn't look back up at Lloyd, I didn't look at anyone. I whipped my eyes quickly, stepping past Lloyd and towards my friend.

Ami spoke with Remiel, the same words spoken at the fire seal. She spread her angel wings, lifting off the ground. I looked away as she was gifted more angelic powers, the mana sinking into her chest.

We all walked from the water seal without speaking. I didn't look at anyone; I kept my eyes down to the ground. I didn't want anyone to see my expressions, my emotions, my thoughts. Anyone could read me like a book now. _I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve to travel with them. I should be home, sleeping in my bed, spending my time with my mom and Andrew. I don't belong here._ These words ran through my mind has I felt the urge to cry. Some part of me wanted to just grab Ami and run away and disappear from everything. Everything was telling me this was impossible to work out how it was suppose to work out. I lifted my eyes to Ami, seeing her look back at me. We frowned at each other. I was about to say something to her when she stopped walking.

"Chosen?" Raine stopped, putting a hand on her should.

"Ams…!" I shoved forward, quickly grabbing her as she fell forward. "D-damn it! Ams!" I slowly moved her to lay down, kneeling beside her. "A-ams, can you hear me?" I could hear strain in my voice. When she didn't answer, I tried to keep strong as she lay limp in my arms.

"It's the angel toxicosys again…" Raine said, kneeling on the other side of her.

"Let's get a fire going. We could call use the rest." Kratos said, nodding to me. He stared right at me. His eyes were kind. Was this his way of saying his was sorry? If it was, it was kind of working.

I sat by our fire, getting entranced when the orange and red colors danced in my eyes. I saw Ami laying about 5 feet from me, facing away. She was the only person I didn't have to lie to, the only person here I could talk to about anything; about home, about the future of the journey, about…everything. So why did I feel like I couldn't even look at her?

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey…" Lloyd sat beside me, putting a blanket on my shoulders. I didn't say anything back. "You…okay?" He smiled at me as best he could, but I know he noticed me being distant. I just wanted him to leave me be, but I didn't have the guts to shoo him away. "Jenni…Are you okay?"

"Yes. Lloyd. I'm doing okay…" I gulped. He shifted a little, putting his arm around me, pulling me against him. Like a child being cradled, I laid my head against his chest. And it was like that for a while. Lloyd's arms around me, keeping me warm. Even if I was so far from home, something about this moment felt familiar, though I didn't know why. His hand lightly gripped my shoulder as he spoke.

"Can I get your opinion on something?" He began.

I shifted, looking up at him slightly. "Should I be worried, Lloyd?"

"I don't think so." He laughed lightly. "I just…" He gulped. "Do you remember Colette?"

"Yeahhh. What about her?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just confused. She just …ends up getting kidnapped! I mean… who would kidnap a girl from Iselia? It seems kind of…random, don't you think?"

"Lloyd." I frowned, sitting up more. "We are going to find her! It's okay! We aren't going to stop looking until we do. She's too important to ignore!"

"Important? What makes Colette so important other than she's our friend? Why did they take her?"

I didn't know what to say. I looked over at Ami, who was asleep, and then at the others, who were too far away to hear us.

"U-um…She was the Chosen of Regeneration, Lloyd. That could be reason enough to-"

"What?" He looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Colette is what, now?"

"She…was the Chosen. When she went missing, Ami took her place."

Lloyd's eyes were big, and he shook his head slowly.

"It…doesn't work that way. The half elf from Luin was blessed to be the Chosen. She's BEEN the Chosen for 16 years. You're her best friend, don't you know that?" He looked at me again. "When in the world did Colette suddenly become the Chosen?!" He began to chuckle.

"What? Colette? The Chosen?" I hear Genis walk up beside us with firewood. After putting it down, he shook his head, laughing as well.

"SHH!" I joined the laugh to cover up my mistake. "I was being stupid. Don't laugh at me!" I faked a giggle. _Shit! What did I just do? Colette was never the chosen?! And it was written for 16 years…that Ami was the Chosen of Regeneration. It was predicted that she was going to be here. How…is that even possible? Does she know this? What did Yuan tell her that he didn't tell me?! Damn it._

"I'm going for a walk." I stood up.

"I'll go with!" Lloyd stood as well.

"No. I need to be alone right now. I have my weapons. I'm not going far." I already went down the path away from the group before they could stop me. Lloyd just shrugged his shoulders at Genis.

I thought that if I was alone long enough, Yuan would have to show up. And this time… I'd be asking the questions.


	13. Chapter 12- If You Aren't Confused Yet

Chapter 12

"Damn it, Yuan! I know you're around here somewhere!" I chucked a rock into the ocean and watched it disappear into the darkness. Standing on the tip of Thoda Dock, I looked out towards the island we just came from, where Ami completed the Water Seal. I turned to look over my shoulder at the group who was too far away to hear me, but close enough to wear I could see their silhouettes in the light of the fire. This was the last night Ami was going to be able to sleep…at least for a long time.

Among other things, I was searching for Yuan; the man who had attacked me 4 days ago. I felt well enough to fight if I needed to. I sat down at the edge of the dock after a few minutes of standing there in silence. I pulled off my boots, letting my toes touch the cold night water. I kicked at the water, splashing into the distance. When my hands got bored, I braided my messy blonde hair off my face. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, wishing for this minute of peace to last as long as it could.

"Don't say anything. If you move, I'll kill you." I heard a female voice from behind me. There was cold steal sitting on the back of my neck.

"Shiiiit." I grumbled.

"What did I say?!" Sheena spat. I felt the dagger push against my skin.

"Ow! S-stop it!" I bit my lip, arching my back. I reached for the dagger, moving forward in order to stop her from pushing it further into my skin. She jumped back when she thought I had a weapon. "You won't hurt me, Sheena." I said, accepting the punishment that came when she realized I knew her name.

"H-how…?" She glared. "You know my name!" She raised her weapon again. To that, I raised my hands.

"Look, I don't have any weapons at my reach. I don't want to fight." I slowly got up from the dock, my bare feet feeling the wood beneath them. Sheena shifted one of her feet back, ready to defend herself.

"Who are you…?" Sheena asked. She looked angry, although confused.

"I was going to ask her the same question…" The tall blue haired renegade stepped out from the bushes.

"You again?" Sheena gulped, shaking her head. With one last look at me, she repeated the same thing she told us back on the Ossa Trail. "This isn't over." She jumped back, out of sight.

"Sheena! Wait!" I yelled, trying to make it off the dock. My arrows were on the sand to the left of the dock. Yuan stepped on the dock, a smirk on his face.

"I didn't think you were this stupid to run off alone. It's my lucky day, I guess." He backed me up against the end of the dock.

"Yuan. W-wait. I want to work with you. " I gulped, raising my hands up.

"Oh? Is that right, Peterson?" He crossed his arms.

"I mean… It's that or you torture me for information, right?" I shrugged. When he chuckled, I sighed in relief that this was going to be less of a dangerous conversation than our last.

"I suppose that is correct. For the most part. Why would you want to work with me, Jennifer?"

"The question is… why would you want to work with me, Yuan? You've seen what I know, correct? Or at least what you think I know." I smiled at my clever plan I had in my mind. If I could get Yuan on our side, maybe all this could work out.

"What information are you offering?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I know…much much more than you think I do. And when you think you realize what key information I hold, I hold even more. You DON'T want to kill me Yuan. You want me on your side. And you DON'T want to stop this group. This group is the best chance you have to saving the worlds." I pointed back towards the campsite.

"So you know of Tethe'alla?" He asked.

"I know everything, Yuan. I even know why you don't want this journey to happen. I even know about Martel."

"Everyone knows of the Goddess." Yuan shook his head.

"I know about Martel Yggdrasill. The woman you gave THAT ring to over 4,000 years ago." I motioned to his hand. I hoped I didn't give too much away. I hoped I was vague enough. I hoped he still trusted me. His silence was not very reassuring. "Maybe…I shouldn't tell you this stuff. Lying was much easier to deal with." I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead.

"Do you know how this all ends?" I kept his eyes on the dock, not wanting to look at me when I answered this question.

"I can tell you that… She will finally rest in peace. But I need you to trust me. And I need you to just…keep going as you were before you knew this. "

"Why should I believe you?! You have given me no reason to help you! Your journey is going to meet an unhappy end once you reach the tower." Yuan said, stepping towards me.

"That is NOT going to be the end of the journey! That's…barely half of it!" I sighed.

"How do you KNOW this, Peterson?!" He yelled.

"I know because…because…damn it!" I grabbed my head. "UGH! I don't know how to explain it! And I don't HAVE to! Because you're just going to have to TRUST me!" I gulped, my body shaking. The water threw itself against the dock and sand. Yuan looked me in the eye, worried and unsure.

"The only reason I'm doing this is for Martel's sake." He stepped away off the dock.

"Wasn't that always the case?" I asked, following behind him from afar. I believe I caught a glint of a small smile when he turned his head to hear me. It quickly vanished. "You told us that Colette went missing. The Chosen?" I asked him before he would decide to leave the scene.

"Yes…?" He nodded. "And your friend was to take her place…"

"Why does no one know that Colette was the Chosen? Why is it documented that Ami has been the Chosen her whole life when we only came here weeks ago?" I asked. He sighed, putting his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"Here is what I have put together given the circumstances." He shook his head. "It's…as if there is a glitch."

"In…the game?" I raised an eyebrow.

" No, Peterson. A glitch in time. Don't you know where you and the Chosen are from?"

"Earth….?" I tilted my head.

"Precisely. It is exactly what the prophecy states. 'A chosen will be born in the city of Luin.' However…it wasn't quite precise on the date. She was born 4.7 billion years later."

"W-…what are you saying!?" My words caught in my throat. I almost forgot to breathe.

"I'm saying…your friend was supposed to be the Chosen all along. It was when Yggdrasill found that his plan was flawed. You are aware of Yggdrasill, correct?" He kept going.

"I told you that I know everything, a-accept what you just told me; about this being our world…but in the past." I could hear my voice shaking. It was nearly impossible to keep my cool.

"It was 16 years ago when Sylvarant was told of its new chosen. But, it was said that because of many failed attempts in the past with regeneration, the goddess wanted to keep the Chosen's identity a secret, only giving the world vague information."

"That she was going to be born in Luin…?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Correct. When Yggdrasill found that he would not be able to have a Chosen he could keep an eye on, he gave the job to me to find her as soon as possible. I'm still surprised that I succeeded in time for the journey." Yuan looked up at the moon, his face stern and unsure.

"It took you that long?"

"Do you want the job of searching through dimensions and time portals to find a girl who was born in the wrong time?" He glared at me coldly.

"16 years…almost to the day?"

"It was like it was supposed to happen." He said, in almost a murmur.

"I guess. But what about Colette Brunel? I thought she was the Chosen."

"She was our back up plan. The worlds back up plan. Her mana signature is nearly identical to the Chosen. If I wasn't able to find the Chosen in time, I would turn to her. It was when she had gone missing when I panicked to find your friend."

"So wait…Colette was the backup plan to Ami? That's totally NOT what you told us in your base when we came here." I grabbed my arrows when he wasn't looking, just to feel a bit more secure.

"Ami wished for you not to know. She thought you couldn't handle the news." He shook his head.

"WHAT?! WHAT IS THERE TO HANDLE? MY BEST FRIEND BEING SENT OFF TO DIE!? I KNEW THAT! BUT KNOWING THAT IF WE FOUND COLETTE, IT WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING!?" I glared

"I suppose your friend was right about you not being able to handle this." He smirked. "Did you honestly think that finding Colette would make a difference? You friend is the Chosen, and she will die to save her world. If she does not succeed, there's no telling if there will be a world to go back to."

I stared at Yuan, my jaw dropped slightly. I was stopped and unable to speak, unable to know what to ask next.

"Jennifer?" Yuan sighed. "Please speak. You're not making this very easy." He looked back.

"I…uh." I shook my head.

_This is Earth millions of years in the past._

_Ami is and always has been the Chosen, sent to save our world._

"If we don't beat the game…er…I mean if we don't succeed in this journey…our world won't be there. Ami and I will cease to exist." I stared at the ground. I felt numb, but still sick to my stomach. The world seemed to crush around me, although I was still in wide open space.

"You're still here, aren't you, Peterson?" Yuan stated, crossing his arms. I looked up at him, nodding slowly.

"That's the timeline now…but if we mess up. If something happens…"

"Nothing will happen if you aren't stupid." He grumbled.

"Jee, Thanks. Very reassuring." I leaned down, putting my head in my hands. "It's not supposed to be like this! It's supposed to be a GAME!" I kicked the sand. "A FUCKING GAME!"

"Peterson, the sooner you realize that that statement is not true, the sooner you will get back to your home." He glared. "I could still dispose of you, you know. Maybe it will give your friend a bit of a push to succeed."

"The sooner you realize what SIDE you're on, the sooner I'll decide when to kick your fucking ass or not!" I glared.

"Nice choice of words. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He smirked.

"E-excuse me!?" I laughed, still very pissed off.

"I could always dispose of them. Very pitiful lives they live." He shrugged.

"You just CAN'T leave a conversation without thoroughly making me feel hopeless, can you, Ka'fai?" I glared.

"Jenni?" I looked over, seeing Lloyd standing on top of a sand dune. He squinted his eyes towards me. "Where are you?" When I looked back to where Yuan stood, the half elf Renegade was gone.

"Damn it…" I grumbled, walking my way over to Lloyd. "I'm right here, Lloyd."

"Where are your shoes…?" He asked, pointing to my feet.

"Oh, uh… I left them on the dock." I sighed, turning back around.

"I'll get them for you!" He smiled dorkishly, running past me down the dock. I walked my way down too, meeting him at the base of the wood. My head down, I didn't say a word.

There's not much for what I can say for what happened next. I felt hopeless… just as Yuan wanted me to feel. I felt alone. I was scared.

"Jen…Jenni, here." Lloyd attempted to give me back my boots, but I just kept my head down. It was moments like this that I felt awkward but still accepted with Lloyd Irving. "Hellllloooo? Jenni?"

"I…" I was able to get out. "I'm sorry…" I took my boots, looking up at his brown eyes. His hair shagged down over his forehead. His smile came across his face yet again.

"For what?" He asked.

"N-nothing…" I gulped, feeling like such a girl. I had this horrible delightful urge to hug him. It was that same horrible delightful urge that came to me when he held me by the fire. The urge that made me want to cling just a little tighter.

"You dork…" Was all he said, and his arms were around me. The fabric of his gloves ran against my neck as he pulled me closer. I lifted my hands to his back, hugging him. I was finally able to exhale. "We're all tired. You should get some sleep, too, Jenni."

"T-thanks for getting my boots, Lloyd." I stepped back. Something felt wrong after I stepped back and looked at the boy. _Don't get attached. No more hugs. We have to find Colette. He belongs with Colette. You don't belong. _

"We'll find Colette." I said, giving him a smile. "Promise."

"Well that was random." He smiled. "Thanks, Jen. You're a true friend."

"So are you, Lloyd Irving." I had another sigh of relief, but not for the same reason. The reason before was because I knew I could be scared and someone understood that. The reason now, was that Lloyd was my friend, and we weren't anything more. It would be far too painful to walk away from Lloyd Irving. In the end, the lie would come out. He would know I didn't belong here.


	14. Chapter 13- Dorr's Daughter

Chapter 13

8 Days Later

After making it back to Palmacosta, the group saved Chocolat's mother. Magnius, yet another one of the men who ran the death camps called human ranches, had set up quite a scene in the small city on the water. I guess he thought it showed his power to make everyone afraid to be hung at the gallows. He used Chocolat's mother as an example of the control the desians had on Palmacosta. Without Colette there, no one was able to cut the rope once it pulled tight. Without a second thought, I pulled an arrow back shot, cutting the rope and set her free.

After this ordeal with Magnius, we had gotten the news that Chocolat had been kidnapped to the Ranch. This family had some serious problems with this guy.

I watched as my friend's humanity started to slip away. Through the Palmacosta ranch, I saw her use angelic powers for the first time. Her eyes would turn red and her voice sounded robotic as she used 'Angel Feathers'. A simple angelic spell, however it seemed to take more out of her than anything else. She'd seem dazed, and every time I saw her use it, I'd ask her if she was okay. Same answer again and again. 'Fine.'

It took us nearly all day to find Magnius and save all the people he had imprisoned in his sick ranch. Once we finally made it to him, the group was able to take him down. However this did not happen without trouble. He had sent men in to fight with him. The whole battle probably lasted half an hour. Left and right, Raine used her healing arts. At one point, Lloyd was wounded by Magnius, on the ground, unable to open his eyes again. I stared at his body that lay nearly lifeless. Raine ran to his side, and that was the first time I saw a life bottle used. I learned that life bottles were not able to resurrect the dead, however, to wake the ones who were on the brink of it. Like a last resort. Raine had told me they used a life bottle on me when I was attacked in the Palmacosta Inn. Which made me feel _really_ great.

Today we are to go speak to Governor General Dorr, to give him the news that Chocolat had refused to be rescued after learning of Lloyd's involvement with her grandmother's death. This was a day I had been dreading for a while. Walking into the gates of Palmacosta, I could since death in the air. With every step, I knew we were getting closer to the truth. Governor General Dorr had been working with the Desians all along because he believed they had a cure for his sick wife. The group learned this from Neil, the cute assistant to Dorr.

I followed into the Governor's house with the rest of the group, keeping my head down. I wanted to hear them in the basement, knowing that with their angelic hearing, Kratos and Ami were the only ones who could. We slowly walked down stairs, confronting the governor. He wasn't too happy with us finding out about his motive with the Desians. He yanked down the curtain to show the monster he kept imprisoned.

"O-oh my god…" My hand shot to my mouth, covering my lips. Clara, the Governor's wife, was worse than the video game showed.

"She's right here..." He yelled, looking up at the monster. Its enlarged fingers gripped the bars. It had no mouth to speak, no way to scream, to way to cry. But somehow you would know how much pain this monster was in. I looked towards Kratos, seeing his eyes fill with hatred for this man.

Lloyd had seen this before back in Iselia, the day he was banished after being blamed for the desian attack there.

"A-ahh! W-whats that monster?!" Genis gulped, stepping away.

"This…" Lloyd started.

"This is what has become of my wife, Clara"

"You told everyone she was dead…" I glared, curling my fits.

"My father, the previous Governor-General, was a fool. Because of his defiant stance against the Desians, they killed him, then planted the demon seed in my wife as a warning. If I cooperate with them, they will give me the medicine to save her." Dorr said, gritting his teeth.

"But…that means you're betraying the people of this city!" Genis spoke out.

"What do I care? We'll never escape the rule of the Desians anyway."

Lloyd stepped forward.

"Ami will. The Chosen will save the world!"

"The Chosen's journey of world regeneration is not absolute. Don't forget that the last one ended in failure! Besides, the people of this city are satisfied with my way. They just don't know I'm working for the Desians."

"Shut up! What do you mean, your "way"?! I'm sorry about your wife. But think of all those people who believed in you, only to be sent off to the ranch! Any of them may have wound up just like your wife!" Lloyd shouted, striking at the air with his fist.

"Silence boy! Stop acting like your justice is absolute!" Dorr yelled. Kratos' grip on his sword was getting tighter.

"Where do you get off? Don't even start spewing the word, _justice! _I hate that word! If you wanted to save your wife, you should have resigned your position as Governor-General and searched for a cure, or help, or whatever! You're a worthless jerk who couldn't give up his social status even for his own wife!" Lloyd's words stuck like daggers into Dorr.

"Lloyd…" Kratos had stepped forward. I had to step aside to let him through. Kratos' anger had built up, and without saying anything, he probably would have popped. "Although this man is foolish and has wronged his faithful people, understand that not everyone is strong enough to stand up to the Desians. This man isn't anywhere close to strong." He glared down at Dorr. "The Desians have lied to you. If you want to help your wife, seek out different help. There is none for you here." Kratos' words ran off his tongue as if with no hesitation. "Maybe the Goddess Martel might help you and your daughter."

"ABSURD!"

"No!" I reached out. But I was too late. The child that stood beside Dorr had chuckled, jumping forward and stabbing her father in the back. "D-damn it! Why?!" I grabbed Dorr as he fell forward, making sure he didn't hit his head. I felt his blood run onto my fingers like water.

"How could you do that to your father?!" Genis yelled.

"Oh that's a laugh!" The little girl giggled evilly. With a crack to her skin, it started to shift purple. Horns protruded from the small child's head as she grew almost 2 feet in height. Her arms grew thin, pulsing with gross purple blood through the nearly see-through body. "I am a servant of Pronyma, leader of the Five Grand Cardinals who rule over the Desians. I was merely assigned to observe the new human cultivation technique, developed by Magnius. There's no way that a superior half-elf such as I, could have a fool of a father like this! Just look at him! He didn't even notice that his own daughter was dead…because he was too busy chasing after medicine that doesn't exist…in order to save his monster wife! Hahahaha! "

"You…" Lloyd growled, taking his swords out.

"Let's get this over with…" I stood, at the ready to take down this demon.

Lloyd took the first swing, using demon fang to shift her back against the wall. With that, I sent an ice arrow at her. The arrow caught in her shoulder, making a block of ice pin her to the wall momentarily.

"Spark volt!" The demon started to cast. Sending a ball of electricity towards Genis. I shoved him out of the way, getting shocked instead. It wasn't that bad, just a burning sensation until it faded when you couldn't stand anymore.

"Jenni! Are you alright!?" Genis pulled me to my feet.

"All good. Just got the wind knocked out of me." I smiled, moving across the room. Genis and I were to keep to the back, sending long distance spells. Kratos, Lloyd, and Ami were at the front with Raine healing us from the sidelines.

"Runya!" I sent a fire arrow at demon, making it explode on impact. The demon fell back, crashing into wooden boxes.

"GAAHH!" She screamed, getting back up. "You're gonna pay for that, you filthy elf!" She sent another spark volt at me, but this time I was able to get out of the way. We could all tell she was going to fall soon. She was panting hard, slurring her words.

"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta- WOAH!" I was grabbed by Lloyd, who yanked me out of the way of yet another attack.

"Jenni! Be careful!" He shouted as the demon fell to the ground.

"I'm just getting started!" She said, extra arms pulling out of her back. They reminded me of the stingers on the arms of the starfish.

"Oh sh-" Lloyd pushed me behind him then put his swords up in an X.

"GUARDIAN!" A green light shadowed around us. The demons attack backfired as she fell backwards, meeting with Kratos' sword. I heard a slice, hearing her blood curdling screech.

"Double Demon Fang!" He casted. Ami, once he moved out of the way, casted one of her cleverest attacks.

"Circle of Fate!" She swung her yo-yo back, spinning it fast so it blurred. A gold ring appeared around the perimeters of her weapon, along with a ring around the demon's feet. She slammed her yo-yo to the ground, making the gold ring shatter. The gold ring around the demons feet disappeared, the demon screaming and falling to the floor as if the gravity around her slammed her down. I could hear bones break.

"N-no…how could…a mere human…defeat me?" The half elf demon could not stand any longer. Her body was broken, her soul beaten…at least what was left of her soul.

"You and who you work for's idea of the perfect world is flawed. Though I still hope you are able to rest in peace." I pulled an arrow pack, whispering against the wood. "Tella Hinue..." I shot her in the back, and she gave one yelp. This meant 'Last Song' in elven. A ray of light appeared from the wound the arrow gave her, and then disappeared in a glittering puff mana. She went limp, slowly fading away into her mana flow which gave her life.

"J-jen…Where did you learn that?" I heard Ami say, walking up to me.

"I…uh…"

"Professor!" Lloyd said, kneeling by the Governor-General who was still alive. I pulled away from Ami's confrontation, going to see if they needed help. The Professor had already started her healing arts.

"W-what about a life bottle?" I wondered.

"We're all out." Genis said.

"Is there time to go get one?" I looked at Raine.

"If you hurry! Now!" She said, looking up at me.

"I will." And I bolted up the stairs and out the front door.

"Whats going on?!" A guard asked me as I ran down the front steps. I didn't get a chance to answer him. The world around me started to blur. _What the hell are you doing, Jen!? He's not supposed to live! You're messing things up! But he needs to save his wife! He could still live!_

"MOVE!" I yelled, trying to get into Marble's shop. There were people crowding the store because of the news of Chocolat. "M-ma'am. I… I need a life bottle!" I panted. _You're not going to make it in time. _

"That's 60 gald, young miss." She told me. I poured my money pouch onto the counter.

"W-will you take 47?" I begged.

"You seem to really need one…alright. Hurry off, now." He took the rest of my change and I ran like a bat out of hell from the store. It accrued to me that she noticed who I was. She called me 'young miss' before when we talked to her about Chocolats kidnapping.

_You're just messing up the story line. His death is imminent. _

_ It's a life! I can't just NOT try! Someone loves him and needs him. His wife can't be alone! He doesn't deserve to die! He was only trying to save his wife!_

My mind fought with itself as I ran back towards the Governor-General's home. I grabbed the door handle, swinging the door open. I nearly ran right into Raine, who had tears in her eyes.

"P-professor…! I…"

"It's alright Jennifer. I-it was too late even before I s-started casting." She gulped, walking past me.

"N-no! I…We can still try!" I continued, my voice trembling. I turned around, begging as she walked down the steps. She shook her head. The rest of the group walked past me in the door. Lloyd wouldn't even look at me. Ami frowned, putting her hand over mine that held the life bottle.

"If we saved him, it might have-"

"I know, Ams. Just…let's keep going." I bit my lip, shaking my head and pocketing the bottle.


	15. Chapter 14- Journal Entry

Chapter 14

Day 23

I hope I'm keeping track of the days correctly. The group and I are on our way to the Wind Seal next. Tomorrow we are going to make it to Hakonesia Peak, at least that's what Lloyd is telling everyone. I'm sorry, but Lloyds never right. If he says we are going to make it there in an hour, we'll make it there in 5 hours. I'm estimating we'll reach the Wind Seal in 2 days. And can I just say how excited I am about losing my ability to feel? I'm already going insane without being able to sleep.

Jenni has stopped talking to me. I don't know why, though. She usually can't shut up. I wonder if I did something wrong. Ever since Yuan came into her room in Palmacosta, she's been so distant and I don't know how to talk to her. She's constantly reading her book of spells. She used something the other day, but I don't remember what it's called. I'm kind of tempted to steal that stupid book, because it seems to be changing her. She's scary…like Kratos.

Kratos is getting a little better though. He's actually talking to me. God I sound like such an idiot. But yeah, I have a lot of pride when it comes to him talking to me. He doesn't talk to anyone else. And the fact he can trust me means a lot. Not that I'd ever tell him that. He asked me what I thought of Lloyd. Which I had a lot of fun answering.

I have a huge craving for an apple right now… I want to cry because the thought of actually biting into one makes me want to puke. Alright. Well…I'm off to NOT sleep.

-Ami


	16. Chapter 15- I Hit My Head Pretty Hard

Chapter 15

With a click, our heads turned towards the door at the back of the room.

"We got it!" Lloyd smiled, running to the large stone door, kneeling down to grip the bottom.

"Need help?" I asked, kneeling beside him. When I got a nod, we both pulled the stone up, making it slide out of the passage that it once blocked. When we heard yet another click, it stayed open for us to pass through.

"Alright. Everyone up the stairs…" Kratos said, leading up the back.

We made our way to the top. I squinted my eyes and put my hand up. The sky was completely clear of clouds, and the wind was terrible.

"There's no way I can use my arrows with this wind." I sighed, pulling my hair off my face. With the ribbon I bought in Palmacosta, I tied it back.

"Just do your best, Jennifer." Raine said, nodding to me. We all watched as our next enemy presented itself.

A great eagle soared over our heads, its blue feathers coming close to hitting the few pillars that stood in the corners. It landed, screeching to the sky. The wind stopped for a moment, after the screech continued to make our ears ring.

"Guys, GO!" Lloyd yelled. "BEAST!" He jumped forward, getting the chance to knock the eagle to the ground.

I pulled an arrow back, letting it soar while I still had time when the wind didn't affect my shot. "Elandi en' Yuula!" I yelled an 'Arrow of Ember'. The arrow gained mana in the air as its flame grew larger. It hit in the eagles chest, catching its many feathers on fire. It batted at the air around it, nearly making Genis fall over with the gust it made.

"ANGEL FEATHERS" Ami cast, sending sharp light attacks over and over at our enemy. I saw her land, her wings behind her. She held her neck over her Cruxis Crystal, closing her eyes.

"JENNIFER!" I heard Kratos' voice. I turned to face him, but was thrown back by a blue wing with razor sharp feathers. I was in the air, unable to scream when I realized how close I was to the edge. I closed my eyes, feeling no stone beneath me. It was slow. I must have fallen 10 feet or more, cause when I hit the cliff side -that stuck of the temple, I hit hard. I didn't reach the ground, but it sure felt solid enough.

_"Jennifer…what are you doing?" I heard a voice._

_"No…I…" I was scared to open my eyes. Scared of where I was and how close I was to falling again._

_"Jennifer…you should stand up." The voice spoke again. It became clear, but echoed in my ears. I opened my eyes slowly, no having to squint as hard anymore. I was lying in a hallway with tile flooring. Luminescent lights ran long the ceiling and a few flashed making small 'zap' sounds in attempt to stay on. I slowly pushed myself up off the floor, moving my head. I was sitting on the floor of my high school common hall. It was in the middle of the day, but no students were around. Old pieces of paper and beat up binders trailed down the dirty hallway._

_"Hello?" I spoke, my voice echoing down the hall. I pushed my legs under me, slowly standing up, but leaning on the brick wall._

_"J-jenni?" I heard someone call._

_"I'm right here!" I said, walking towards the voice. This one was different. "A-ams? Is that you?"_

_"J-jenni! Help!" She screamed._

_"W-where are you?!" I tried to run towards her voice. The floor was slippery._

_"HERE! In HERE!" She banged on the door at the end of the hall. I saw it shake with ever kick and slam of her fist she gave. "P-please J-jen! H-hurry! H-he's coming!" She cried, her voice ringing in my ears. I glanced behind me, realizing what I was slipping on was blood that trailed down the hall and went under the door Ami was trapped behind._

_"I'm right here!" I told her, grabbing the handle that didn't turn. My hand slipped off the steal, my hand covered in blood. "I-I'm coming! I'll get you out of there!" I grabbed my shirt with my hand, trying to turn the handle by force._

_"J-Jennif-"_

_"A-ams?!" I yelled, banging my fist on the door. All I heard was the sound of skin breaking and blood pouring. A sword cutting into the body. I closed my eyes, trying with all my might to open the door. I heard a click. And I opened the door with no problem. I saw a dark room, no one in side. "A-ams?" I gulped._

_"She's not the one you need to worry about, Jenni." I heard his voice._

_"Lloyd?" I turned around back to the hallway, seeing Lloyd there in front of me. I followed his sword up. His smirk with just a few jagged teeth showing, he spoke._

_"She's not the one you need to worry about, Jenni." He pulled his sword back and I felt it. I felt his sword yank out of my body, blood running onto my fingers when I put them to my shirt. I looked up at him again, unable to breathe when I felt blood run onto my tongue and lips. I saw blood on my hands, I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I tried harder and harder. Maybe someone could hear me._

"PLEASE HELP ME! HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!" I was able to scream. Sitting up, I felt a hand on my shoulder, trying to push me back down.

"Jennifer, calm down!" Kratos said. He grabbed my hands, holding them down from me hitting him. I opened my eyes painfully. They were filled with hot tears. "It's only a dream."

"N-no! No! W-where's Ami?! Where's Lloyd?!" I cried.

"Is she awake?!" I heard Lloyd's voice. It was night. Lloyd stood from beside the campfire. Ami was making her way over with Raine and Genis.

"Your hands..." Kratos took my wrists, looking down at my palm. I couldn't stop shaking when I saw the blood. "Please try to calm down, Jennifer. I'll heal them." He said.

"Her…nails? She gripped her fists so tight she cut her palms with her nails!" Lloyd said, his jaw dropped as he told everyone as they got closer.

"W-what's going on?" I shivered, looking around, trying to remember what happened. Kratos took my hands, attempting to heal them.

"You had fallen in the fight with the Wind Spirit. You've been out for hours." Raine said, kneeling beside me.

"W-where's Ami?" I asked, still shook up.

"I'm right here, Jenni!" Ami raised her hand, frowning. "The hell were you dreaming about?"

"Judging by your hands, you didn't dream about unicorns and flowers…" Genis gulped.

"I…I just…" I couldn't think, Kratos' mana was making me dizzy.

"Let her calm down, guys." Lloyd said, sitting right beside me. He pulled a blanket up on my shoulders. "It's okay, Jenni. You're safe, alright?" He told me, giving a soft smile. I jumped to his touch on my shoulders. "It's just me, Jenni."

"I…I know…" I gulped, looking away from him.

_She's not the one you need to worry about, Jenni. _

"Then who is…?" I mumbled, closing my eyes.

"Who's what?" Lloyd asked, looking at me. I shook my head.

"Nothing… It was just a dream…" I told him.

"All done." Kratos said, taking his hands away from mine. Small lines were on my palms. It was going to scar, but it was better than the pain and blood.

"Thank you, Kratos." I nodded to him.

"Try to go back to sleep, even if you don't want to. Which means you need to leave her be." He told Lloyd.

"But-" Lloyd protested.

"Go. You need your sleep as well if you want to be able to fight tomorrow."

"Fine. I guess you're right." Lloyd got up, giving me a pat on my head. I looked up at Ami once Lloyd walked away. She was looking right at me. She mouthed 'you okay?' I had to nod. I didn't want her to worry.


	17. Chapter 16- Kratos Is A Good Teacher

Chapter 16

It took us days to reach Luin. Ami told me she would do her best to act like she's lived here her whole life. I doubt it was very easy, seeing that no one know who she was. When Raine questioned it, she claimed to travel a lot, but was born in Luin. That's how she met me. I have not stated where I am from. I wondered if it made since that I say I don't know where I was born. Honestly, being an elf, I could be from Tethe'alla. It didn't matter though. It was no one's business. Apparently not mine either. Where ever Atlanta, GA was billions of years in the future was where I was from.

I stared at the water of the fountain, sitting facing towards the statue with my feet in the water.

"What are you doing out here? I thought we all decided we wouldn't go anywhere alone." Kratos said, walking towards the fountain.

I sighed. "Sorry. I just needed some fresh air." I pulled my feet from the water, spinning around to dry them and to put my boots back on.

"It's not like you to get up so early. The sun is not even up yet." He said, sitting down on the stone a few feet from me. "How many times have you had that dream?"

"I've lost count, Kratos." I gulped. "I'm fine. Or…I'll BE fine."

"I have a spell that could help you sleep if you need to." He offered.

"I don't need your mana. It freaks me out." I shivered. "S-sorry. I just…I'd rather just use my own mana."

"One cannot use their one mana on themselves. Its your mana. It would have no effect. How long have you been using magic, Jennifer?" He crossed his arms.

"A...while. Sorry, I guess I'm just tired. I knew that.

After an awkward silence, he said. "So, you have learned how to use more than elemental arts?" He asked.

"I haven't used them yet. But…but I've read and carved them into my arrows."

"What spells?"

"One is called 'Arrow of Recovery' Well…the word recovery in elvish is a little weird. It could mean recovery or restore or recover."

"It's a first aid." He nodded. "You should test it. You should practice some healing arts. Raine and I are doing okay, but if one of us were not around, it could become useful."

"Where are you going?" I blinked.

"I'm not going anywhere. I am just stating the fact that there is no harm in gaining yet another skill."

"You're such a teacher." I laughed lightly. "But sure, I'll take your advice."

"Healing arts are not an easy thing to do. It's transferring mana from one life to another. You should not try to practice alone. You could hurt yourself."

"Alright." I grabbed my bag from my side, searching for the healing arts book. I pulled out a small paper back. "On you?"

Kratos stood, walking a few feet away. "I don't see why not." I pulled out a small knife, putting it to his palm.

"Oh shit! Wait-"

"It's alright, Jennifer." He cut his palm with a small but barely noticeable flinch.

"Ew…" I looked away.

"You should be use to blood by now."

"Is that your way of saying to 'suck it up', Kratos?" I couldn't look at his hand. "The hell did you do that?"

"Focus, Jennifer. Close your eyes."

"How am I suppose to shoot an arrow with my eyes closed!?" I glared, standing up, grabbing my bow and arrow.

"Aim above me, I suppose. Just don't shoot me." He said, backing up more. "Just, pull the arrow back and aim. Then focus. I've taught through arrows before and what I use it's very similar."

"Sh-should I just shoot?"

"Close your eyes." He grumbled.

"But…"

"Do it."

"Fine…" I sighed. I pulled the arrow back, putting it above him in the air. I closed my eyes. "Elandi en' Fallan." I didn't let go of my bow. My arms froze, my fingers went numb. It was almost like my whole world went black and I passed out, but I still felt myself breathing in and out. It was like breathing was the most important thing right now. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. My senses were sharp, and slowly, from the tips of my fingers back to my heart, it went cold. I let my arrow fly and I exhaled. My popped opened my eyes. Kratos had ducked as the arrow flew for at him. The arrow disappeared as soon as it hit him, exploding into gold dust.

"I SAID NOT TO SHOOT ME" He yelled.

"W-what the hell?! I didn't move my shot!"

"Yes you did. You shot right at my chest!" He glared.

"Kratos…"

"You need to learn to control your shots!"

"Kratos…"

"What?!" He huffed.

"Your hand…" I pointed. His hand didn't even have a scar. Even the blood had been cleared away.

"….good. Good work." He glared. "That's it for tonight." I grabbed his sword, walking away. I smiled, grabbing my arrows.

"So tomorrow, we are going to the last seal?" I broke the awkward silence.

"Yes, Jennifer. So go to sleep." He said as I stood in front of my room at the inn.

"I'm staying up." I glared.

"No…you're not. Its 4am."

"But…"

"Goodnight, Jennifer." He put a hand on my forehead.

"Krat-" I felt my legs fall out from under me and my eyes close. I felt Kratos catch my fall and pick me up. I could hear the door open to my room.

"…K-Kratos!? What happened to Jenni?!" I heard Ami's voice.

"She just fell asleep outside." Their voices began to fade. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"E-er…I th-think so." Ami said. I felt myself hit the cold sheets of the bed under me.

"It will be alright."

"I trust you, Kratos." Ami spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry if I ever gave you reason to think you could not. I want to try my best to help you."

I tried to say something, but I couldn't move anymore. I felt so tired and numb. It wasn't long till I couldn't hear their voices anymore and it was morning again.


	18. Chapter 17- Nonsense

Chapter 17

Putting my hand to my throat, I gulped, sitting up in my sleeping bag. It was early morning again and I had just woken up from another nightmare. This time I thought I was choking on my own blood. I took gasps of air quietly, so as not to wake the others. We had set up camp at the base of the light seal. I looked to the sunrise, hearing birds chirp and flitter their wings as they flew over my head. That was calming for the most part.

"Good morning Jennifer. How are you feeling?" Raine was standing a few feet from me, wrapping up her pack of supplies.

"Can everyone stop asking me that? I'm good. Promise." I sighed, putting my hand to my forehead, realizing I had been choked awake in a night sweat. I pushed my blankets off my legs, beginning to get up.

"Walk down to the river and wash up. We are going to go inside the temple soon, and you need to be awake. Genis is down there."

"You left him alone? Is that okay?" I raised an eyebrow.

"With Lloyd." She said, amused. "I make sure Genis is safe. You don't need to worry about that." She sighed, pulling her hair back off her neck and into some kind of rubber band. I stared without realizing. "What? What is it Jennifer?"

"N-nothing. Just…your hair is different. It's …weird." I shrugged. "Looks good." I smiled, slipping my boots on and starting to walk away.

"Thank you… I think." She partly smiled, starting to pack up another bag.

I walked down the short path towards the water, hearing the boys in the distance. I heard laughing and yelling, and water splashing. I stepped around the corner, seeing Genis in the water and Lloyd standing on the mushy sand to the side. I felt my face get a bit hotter when my eyes caught a glimpse of him. Lloyd stood toweling off, facing away from Genis as he spoke. He had his underwear on, but I couldn't look.

"G-guys? A-are you actually swimming? I thought we were just washing our faces or something." I said from behind the bushes.

"Jen? Oh! U-uh…" I heard Lloyd stumble over his words as he yanked his clothes on, hearing fabric thrash and flap. "W-well..G-genis and I just decided to get in."

"U-uh. D-don't come over here!" Genis yelled as I heard him getting out of the water.

"You guys are butt naked. I'm not looking, okay? Just hurry up." I sighed, shaking my head, turning away from the water.

"W-we aren't naked!" Lloyd yelled, running around the bush to follow me. Genis followed close behind.

"You were naked." I laughed, sticking my tongue out at the boy.

"S-shut up. We're both boys." Lloyd sighed. "I saw no problem with it. D-don't try to embarrass us, Jenni." He frowned. "H-hey! Stop laughing!"

"I-I'm not laugh-"

"Guys!" Genis yelled, who was in ahead of us now. "Just hurry up already."

I pushed the mirror, Lloyd next to me. Inside the Tower of Mana, the light seal, the group worked together to adjust the mirrors correctly. When I thought about the game, it seemed so different than what we had placed before us. A light shined through a window, and if the sun was behind a cloud outside, we'd have to wait for it. Ami walked beside me after we go through the first couple of rooms. She seemed very talkative.

"-And if we did that, we wouldn't have to go through all the other rooms, right?" She pointed out, keeping up with Genis and I.

"I guess, but do you want to be the one to climb all the way up to the top floor?" I said, pointing up as we entered the main room.

"Jen…I've got wings." She rolled her eyes at me.

"Oh- uh…I forgot!" I laughed. She sighed, taking out her wings, the light feathers reaching out so far, I had to step back. I had the instinct to shield my eyes, but didn't. She lifted off the floor, taking Genis with her. One by one, she did her best to get us all up to the floor we needed to get to without having to travel through unnecessary rooms and mazes. I found it hard not to glare at Kratos when Ami attempted to help him. He simply found himself a way to climb up one of the broken pile of rocks on the other side of the room. He would have to find his way back to us somehow, but for now he was stuck on a different ledge.

"I thought we had to stick together though!" Lloyd protested.

"Please do not put your worries with me, Lloyd. I will be alright on my own." He nodded from across the room. We then headed down the ledge to find the portal to take us to the seal's room.

"Well…should we at least wait for him?" Lloyd said again, before stepping on the teleport first. He pulled his foot back off the panel, turning around.

"Are you actually worrying about Kratos, Lloyd?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I just don't like it when we split up. I don't like it when anyone leaves."

"I second that we wait for Kratos." Ami gulped, raising her hand in front of herself, biting her lip. I sighed, nodding.

"Alright. Fine." I plopped down right there, looking up at the others. "Anyone care to join me?" I said, leaning against the wall behind me. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. It was nice to finally to get sit down. "Ahhhh. That's awesome…" I gave a huge sigh that filled the room.

"I don't see why not." Lloyd smiled, sitting beside me.

"Don't sit so close to me, boy. I still remember seeing you naked and I'm still kind of scared." I joked, sarcastically nudging him.

"W-what?! Y-you said you didn't see anything!"

"You what?!" Ami's eyes widened.

"N-n-nothing happened!" Genis put his hands up.

"Jenni accidently walked down to the water when I forgot to tell her the boys would be bathing." Raine told Ami, shaking her head, face red from laughter.

"It was a joke, stupid. Calm down!" I laughed, frowning at Lloyd. Lloyd's face was the reddest, covered by his hands and shoulders shaking from the laughs in embarrassment.

"Y-you're terrible, Jen." He choked. "You wouldn't be SCARRD!"

"Scarred by what?" Kratos said, just now entering from a door behind the group.

"Seeing Lloyd undressed." Genis laughed, holding his sides.

Kratos looked down at the two of us, staring at me. He was about to smile! I saw it! I swear!

"Stop wasting time talking about nonsense." He turned around, facing the seal.

"See! It's nonsense!" Lloyd jumped up, grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him.

"What? Me being scarred or you being undressed?" I walked past him, looking over my shoulder with a smirk.

"W-what?!" He glared. "You being s-"

"I said to stop wasting time!" Kratos nearly yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. We all went quiet. You could hear the mana from the teleport panel hiss. "Are you ready chosen?" He turned to Ami calmly.

"Yes, Kratos." She gulped, following him onto the platform.

I did my best not to smile when Lloyd tried to continue our argument about nonsense in whispers.


	19. Chapter 18-The Chosen Must Not Tell Lies

Chapter 18

Day 42

I can't feel.

I can't taste.

I can't sleep.

I can't speak.

I can't wait until I can't move anymore. I might as well be dead already. Tomorrow we are going to Luin's Ranch. And I can't even say what I want to say to the bastard who runs it. I can't wait till he chokes on his own blood and he realizes that he's lost. I can't wait for Kratos to kill him. I never thought I'd say it. But I want them all to die. Every. Last. Desian.

-Ami


End file.
